'''Stockholm''' [http://www.stockholmtown.com/] is the capital and largest city of [[Sweden]], with nearly 2 million inhabitants within its vicinities. The inner city is made up of 14 islands connected by some 50 bridges on Lake Mälaren, which flows into the brackish Baltic Sea, and passes the [[Stockholm archipelago]] with some 24,000 islands and islets.

'''Stockholm''' [http://www.stockholmtown.com/] is the capital and largest city of [[Sweden]], with nearly 2 million inhabitants within its vicinities. The inner city is made up of 14 islands connected by some 50 bridges on Lake Mälaren, which flows into the brackish Baltic Sea, and passes the [[Stockholm archipelago]] with some 24,000 islands and islets.

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The city is a cosmopolitan place with both classical and modern architecture, and a captivating Old Town, ''Gamla Stan''. Over 30% of the city area is made up of waterways, and another 30% is made up of green spaces. Air and water are said to be the freshest of any European capital.

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The city is a cosmopolitan place with both classical and modern architecture, and a captivating Old Town, ''Gamla Stan''. Over 30% of the city area is made up of waterways, and another 30% is made up of green spaces. Air quality is 3rd best of the European capitals [http://sootfreecities.eu] - behind Berlin and Copenhagen.

==Districts==

==Districts==

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| region4description= Södermalm is a rugged island with buildings of all ages. It is always commonly referred to as '''Söder''' (The South). The more or less bohemian area south of Folkungagatan is nicknamed '''SoFo''' (with obvious inspiration from SoHo), and has has many restaurants and pubs, as well as specialist shops and boutiques. Fjällgatan offers some of the best views of Stockholm and the Baltic Sea inlet. The major north-south street Götgatan, with many bars and shops, starts close to Slussen and passes ''Medborgarplatsen'' ("Citizens' square"), a square surrounded by restaurants and pubs. From ''Medborgarplatsen'' along the streets leading to the cozy square ''Nytorget'' and up to the lovely park ''Vita Bergen'' is where one will encounter the hippest and most liberal crowd of successful and wannabe young Swedes anywhere in the whole country. At ''Skeppargränd'' people still inhabit an entire block of remaining small wooden houses along cobbled streets from a bygone era. ''Långholmen'' is a lush island off Södermalm. This is where the notorious Långholmen prison is situated. The cells have since been converted into small hotel rooms, and the sometimes macabre history of the historical localities is displayed in glass cabinets. The waterfront has some of central Stockholm’s most popular beaches and there is also room for nudists on some of the cliffs.

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| region4description= Södermalm is a rugged island with buildings of all ages. It is always commonly referred to as '''Söder''' (The South). ''Fjällgatan'' offers some of the best views of Stockholm and the Baltic Sea inlet. The major north-south street ''Götgatan'' and adjacent streets are littered with a a variety of restaurants, bars and shops. It starts like a hump next to ''Slussen'' with the busy pedestrian zone called ''Götgatsbacken'' ("The slope of Götgatan"), and passes ''Medborgarplatsen'' ("Citizens' square"), which has plenty to offer in terms of shopping and night life. The "bohemian" area south of ''Folkungagatan'' is occasionally nicknamed "SoFo", with obvious inspiration from SoHo. Among its variety of restaurants, cafés, pubs, odd shops and trendy boutiques one will encounter the most liberal assembly of successful but also wannabe Swedes. Shopping and exposing their offspring at the idyllic square ''Nytorget'' or just basking in the lovely park ''Vita Bergen''. At ''Skeppargränd'' people still inhabit an entire block of remaining small wooden houses along cobbled streets from a bygone era. ''Långholmen'' is a lush island off Södermalm. This is where the notorious prison ''Långholmsfängelset'' is situated. The cells have since been converted into small hotel rooms, and the sometimes macabre history of this historical complex is displayed in cabinets. The waterfront has some of central Stockholm’s most popular beaches and there is also room for nudists on some of the cliffs.

| region5name=[[Stockholm/Kungsholmen|Kungsholmen]]

| region5name=[[Stockholm/Kungsholmen|Kungsholmen]]

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:*'''Solna''' and '''Sundbyberg''', just north of central Stockholm, are two separate cities within the Storstockholm (Greater Stockholm) area. Solna is the home of '''Friends Arena''', the region's largest stadium, the vast royal park and recreational area '''Hagaparken''', and the ''Karolinska Institute'', a leading institution of medical research. ''Haga slott'' (palace) in Hagaparken is currently the home of crown princess Victoria and her family. Sundbyberg is the smallest municipality in Sweden and sometimes referred to as "Sumpan".

:*'''Solna''' and '''Sundbyberg''', just north of central Stockholm, are two separate cities within the Storstockholm (Greater Stockholm) area. Solna is the home of '''Friends Arena''', the region's largest stadium, the vast royal park and recreational area '''Hagaparken''', and the ''Karolinska Institute'', a leading institution of medical research. ''Haga slott'' (palace) in Hagaparken is currently the home of crown princess Victoria and her family. Sundbyberg is the smallest municipality in Sweden and sometimes referred to as "Sumpan".

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:*'''Danderyd''' and '''Täby''', to the north-east, are affluent municipality suburbs which can be reached by ''Roslagsbanan'', a narrow-gauge railway. Danderyd has the lowest income tax In Sweden and the ''Djursholm'' area displays some of the most expensive private homes in the whole country. ''Täby centrum'' claims to be one of the biggest shopping malls in Scandinavia, and for a few more years the horse-race track '''Täby Galopp''' will also be a well established part of the community.

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:*'''Danderyd''' and '''Täby''', to the north-east, are affluent municipality suburbs that can be reached by underground and bus or ''Roslagsbanan'', a narrow-gauge railway. Danderyd has the lowest income tax In Sweden and the ''Djursholm'' area displays some of the most expensive private homes in the whole country. ''Täby centrum'' claims to be one of the biggest shopping malls in Scandinavia, and the horse-race track '''Täby Galopp''' will entertain spectators for a few more years. '''Runriket''' at ''Jarlabankes bro'' in ''Täby kyrkby'' is the gateway to the world's largest collection of Viking Age standing stones with narrations carved in runic script. The museum trail is always open and stretches many miles along public roads and pathways into the municipality ''Vallentuna''. Nearby ''Täby kyrka'' (church) holds some of the most vivid medieval wall paintings in the country.

:*'''Vaxholm''' is the gateway to the northern [[Stockholm archipelago]], and a ferry hub. The town has a great waterfront view and a quaint small-scale shopping area. It also sports the ''Vaxholm Castle'', today a coastal defense museum.

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:*'''Vaxholm''' is the gateway to the northern [[Stockholm archipelago]], and a ferry hub. The town has a great waterfront view and a quaint small-scale shopping area. It also sports ''Vaxholms fästning'', which is a fortress turned into a coastal defense museum.

:* '''Värmdö''', the largest island, similar to the mainland.

:* '''Värmdö''', the largest island, similar to the mainland.

:* '''Sandhamn''', a resort-island in the outer archipelago.

:* '''Sandhamn''', a resort-island in the outer archipelago.

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Stockholm is not the oldest town in Sweden. As [[Sigtuna]], Sweden's first capital, was sacked by pirates in 1187, the Swedes built up fortresses along the inlet of Mälaren, and Birger Jarl (''Jarl'' is a title corresponding to British ''Earl'') had a fortress built on an island later known as Gamla Stan. The first records of Stockholm were written in 1252 by Birger. As the land raised, the Stockholm straits became the only waterway between Mälaren and the Baltic Sea during the 15th century, replacing [[Uppsala]] as the effective capital. Since King Gustavus Vasa liberated Stockholm in 1523, Stockholm has remained Sweden's most important centre of commerce, though [[Gothenburg]] later became the largest international port. During the 17th century, Stockholm was the base of the Swedish Empire, with a land area twice the country's current size, nearly encircling the Baltic Sea.

Stockholm is not the oldest town in Sweden. As [[Sigtuna]], Sweden's first capital, was sacked by pirates in 1187, the Swedes built up fortresses along the inlet of Mälaren, and Birger Jarl (''Jarl'' is a title corresponding to British ''Earl'') had a fortress built on an island later known as Gamla Stan. The first records of Stockholm were written in 1252 by Birger. As the land raised, the Stockholm straits became the only waterway between Mälaren and the Baltic Sea during the 15th century, replacing [[Uppsala]] as the effective capital. Since King Gustavus Vasa liberated Stockholm in 1523, Stockholm has remained Sweden's most important centre of commerce, though [[Gothenburg]] later became the largest international port. During the 17th century, Stockholm was the base of the Swedish Empire, with a land area twice the country's current size, nearly encircling the Baltic Sea.

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The city contains buildings from all ages since the 15th century. Like the rest of Sweden it was untouched by the World Wars, but particularly between 1955 and 1975, hundreds of old buildings in ''Norrmalm'' were demolished in a large-scale modernization process, encouraged by similar projects in other European cities. Since then, only infills and a few areas have been developed with new architecture in central Stockholm.

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The city contains buildings from all ages since the 13th century. Like the rest of Sweden it was untouched by the World Wars, but particularly between 1955 and 1975, hundreds of old buildings in ''Norrmalm'' were demolished in a large-scale modernization process, encouraged by similar projects in other European cities. Since then, only infills and a few areas have been developed with new architecture in central Stockholm.

===Climate===

===Climate===

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***'''Flygbussarna''' [http://www.flygbussarna.se/Default.aspx?lang=EN] runs buses frequently to and from the City Terminal, just next to the Central Station. The journey takes 40 minutes and costs 119 SEK, 99 SEK for online purchases, and 89 SEK for people under 25. You can't buy tickets with cash on board, but credit cards are accepted. The buses make a few stops in the northern suburbs, as well as Vasastaden, along the way.

***'''Flygbussarna''' [http://www.flygbussarna.se/Default.aspx?lang=EN] runs buses frequently to and from the City Terminal, just next to the Central Station. The journey takes 40 minutes and costs 119 SEK, 99 SEK for online purchases, and 89 SEK for people under 25. You can't buy tickets with cash on board, but credit cards are accepted. The buses make a few stops in the northern suburbs, as well as Vasastaden, along the way.

***'''Swebus''' [http://www.swebus.se/SwebusExpress_com/Airport-transfer/] runs buses to and from the City Terminal, 1-4 times/hour Mon-Fri, 1-2 times/hour on Sat-Sun. The journey takes 35-45 minutes. Adult tickets cost 99 SEK/178 SEK return. Student and senior tickets cost 72 SEK each way. A ticket for youth under 20 costs 60 SEK each way. Four children up to age 16 travel free with full paying adult. You can't buy tickets with cash on board, but credit cards are accepted. There are multiple outlets at the airport to buy your ticket electronically. You can also buy your ticket e.g. on the Swebus site on the internet, by phone (0771-218 218), at 7-Eleven, Pressbyrån and Swebus ticket offices.

***'''Swebus''' [http://www.swebus.se/SwebusExpress_com/Airport-transfer/] runs buses to and from the City Terminal, 1-4 times/hour Mon-Fri, 1-2 times/hour on Sat-Sun. The journey takes 35-45 minutes. Adult tickets cost 99 SEK/178 SEK return. Student and senior tickets cost 72 SEK each way. A ticket for youth under 20 costs 60 SEK each way. Four children up to age 16 travel free with full paying adult. You can't buy tickets with cash on board, but credit cards are accepted. There are multiple outlets at the airport to buy your ticket electronically. You can also buy your ticket e.g. on the Swebus site on the internet, by phone (0771-218 218), at 7-Eleven, Pressbyrån and Swebus ticket offices.

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**'''By express rail''': The '''Arlanda Express Train''' [http://www.arlandaexpress.com/], departs from the lower level of each airport terminal every 15 minutes and arrives at Stockholm Central Station in 20 minutes. Adult tickets normally cost 260 SEK one-way, 490 SEK return. During Thursday-Sunday and holidays, tickets cost 380 SEK for 2 adults traveling together. Tickets for people under the age of 25 and ISIC holders pay 130 SEK. Children under 17 travel free with a paying adult. Tickets can be bought from kiosks at the platform, online, or on the train for a 50 SEK surcharge.

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**'''By express rail''': The '''Arlanda Express Train''' [http://www.arlandaexpress.com/], departs from the lower level of each airport terminal every 15 minutes and arrives at Stockholm Central Station in 20 minutes. Adult tickets normally cost 260 SEK one-way, 490 SEK return. During Thursday-Sunday and holidays, tickets cost 380 SEK for 2 adults traveling together. Tickets for people under the age of 25 and ISIC holders pay 130 SEK. Children under 17 travel free with a paying adult. Tickets can be bought from kiosks at the platform, online, or on the train for a 100 SEK surcharge.

**'''By regular rail''': Regular trains serve the airport through a third station, Arlanda Central, located under Sky City between terminal 4 and 5.

**'''By regular rail''': Regular trains serve the airport through a third station, Arlanda Central, located under Sky City between terminal 4 and 5.

***Line 38 of the Stockholm suburban rail, ''pendeltåg'', runs from Uppsala via Stockholm Central Station to Älvsjö (with Stockholm International Fairs), stopping in the northern suburbs, with peak hour services continuing to the southern suburbs of Huddinge and Tumba. The train runs twice an hour and takes 37 minutes to Stockholm, and local transport tickets can be used and bought at the entrance to the station, though everyone 18 of age has to pay a station access fee of 75 SEK (though young adults with a teenage appearance can easily ''claim'' to be under 18 and get through - they won't check your ID if you're confident about this). A one-way ticket to Stockholm city costs 125 SEK including the station access fee (110 SEK for people 18-20 and 40 SEK for people under 18, though again, people 18-20 can easily get a 40 SEK ticket by claiming to be under 18). For 210 SEK (165 SEK for people 18-20 and 90 SEK for people under 18) you can get a 24-hour travelcard (if you already have a plastic SL Access card, this is reduced by 20 SEK). These prices all include the station access fee, if applicable. See [http://sl.se/en/Visitor/Tickets/] for local transport tickets.

***Line 38 of the Stockholm suburban rail, ''pendeltåg'', runs from Uppsala via Stockholm Central Station to Älvsjö (with Stockholm International Fairs), stopping in the northern suburbs, with peak hour services continuing to the southern suburbs of Huddinge and Tumba. The train runs twice an hour and takes 37 minutes to Stockholm, and local transport tickets can be used and bought at the entrance to the station, though everyone 18 of age has to pay a station access fee of 75 SEK (though young adults with a teenage appearance can easily ''claim'' to be under 18 and get through - they won't check your ID if you're confident about this). A one-way ticket to Stockholm city costs 125 SEK including the station access fee (110 SEK for people 18-20 and 40 SEK for people under 18, though again, people 18-20 can easily get a 40 SEK ticket by claiming to be under 18). For 210 SEK (165 SEK for people 18-20 and 90 SEK for people under 18) you can get a 24-hour travelcard (if you already have a plastic SL Access card, this is reduced by 20 SEK). These prices all include the station access fee, if applicable. See [http://sl.se/en/Visitor/Tickets/] for local transport tickets.

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**A cheaper option (26 SEK, 18 SEK for people under 20) is to take local bus 152 to Sundbyberg station, and from there a suburban train to Stockholm Central (taking 25 min in total).

**A cheaper option (26 SEK, 18 SEK for people under 20) is to take local bus 152 to Sundbyberg station, and from there a suburban train to Stockholm Central (taking 25 min in total).

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*'''[[Nyköping|Skavsta Airport]]''' ({{IATA|NYO}}; {{ICAO|ESKN}}) mostly used by Ryanair and Wizzair, and offers flights from cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Madrid, Rome, Tallinn Vilnius and Warsaw. Located 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Stockholm, near the town [[Nyköping]].

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*'''[[Nyköping|Skavsta Airport]]''' ({{IATA|NYO}}; {{ICAO|ESKN}}) mostly used by Ryanair and Wizzair, and offers flights from cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Madrid, Rome, Tallinn, Vilnius and Warsaw. Located 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Stockholm, near the town [[Nyköping]].

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**The easiest option is to take '''Airport coaches''' [http://www.flygbussarna.se/Default.aspx?lang=EN] go to/from the City Terminal in Stockholm. Adults 129 SEK online or 149&nbsp;SEK at the bus terminal one way; 248 SEK online, 259 SEK at the bus terminal round trip. The travel time is about 80 minutes.

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**The easiest option is to take '''Airport coaches''' [http://www.flygbussarna.se/Default.aspx?lang=EN] go to/from the City Terminal in Stockholm. Adults 139 SEK online or 159&nbsp;SEK at the bus terminal one way; 248 SEK online, 259 SEK at the bus terminal round trip. The travel time is about 80 minutes.

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**An often cheaper option (especially if booked well in advance) is to take take local bus 515 or 715 (timetable [http://www.lanstrafiken.se/Global/Lanstrafiken/Sormland/Dokument/%c3%85rstidtabeller/L%c3%a4net/9%20december%202012%20-%2014%20december%202013/Sommarjusteringer%202013/Landsortstrafik_Nykopingkommun_515_130616_131214.pdf], [http://www.lanstrafiken.se/Global/Lanstrafiken/Sormland/Dokument/%c3%85rstidtabeller/L%c3%a4net/9%20december%202012%20-%2014%20december%202013/Uppdaterade%20130408/Landsortstrafik_Oxelosundkommun_715_121209_131214.pdf], M-F = Mo-Fri, L = Sat, SoH = Sun + holidays) to Nyköping rail station (''alight at Nyköping Centralstation''), from where SJ regional trains (timetable [http://tidtabell.resplus.se/tidtabell/81_tag81.pdf], direct services run to stations marked in white) on the Linköping - Stockholm - (Gävle) route connect to Stockholm ('''Gävle trains also serve Arlanda, thus providing a direct rail connection to Arlanda airport'''). The fare starts 26 + 49 SEK (16 + 49 SEK for youth under 20) and tickets can be bought the following two ways:

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**A cheaper option if booked well in advance is to take take local bus 515 or 715 (timetable [http://www.lanstrafiken.se/Global/Lanstrafiken/Sormland/Dokument/%c3%85rstidtabeller/L%c3%a4net/9%20december%202012%20-%2014%20december%202013/Sommarjusteringer%202013/Landsortstrafik_Nykopingkommun_515_130616_131214.pdf], [http://www.lanstrafiken.se/Global/Lanstrafiken/Sormland/Dokument/%c3%85rstidtabeller/L%c3%a4net/9%20december%202012%20-%2014%20december%202013/Uppdaterade%20130408/Landsortstrafik_Oxelosundkommun_715_121209_131214.pdf], M-F = Mo-Fri, L = Sat, SoH = Sun + holidays) to Nyköping rail station (''alight at Nyköping Centralstation''), from where SJ regional trains (timetable [http://tidtabell.resplus.se/tidtabell/81_tag81.pdf], direct services run to stations marked in white) on the Linköping - Stockholm - (Gävle) route connect to Stockholm ('''Gävle trains also serve Arlanda, thus providing a direct rail connection to Arlanda airport'''). The fare starts 26 + 49 SEK (16 + 49 SEK for youth under 20) and tickets can be bought the following two ways:

***1. Buy a combined ticket from Skavsta to Stockholm at SJ:s website[http://www.sj.se/start/startpage/index.form?l=en] which is both valid on the local bus and the regional train.

***1. Buy a combined ticket from Skavsta to Stockholm at SJ:s website[http://www.sj.se/start/startpage/index.form?l=en] which is both valid on the local bus and the regional train.

***2. Pay for the local bus onboard with your VISA or Mastercard (cash is NOT accepted) and buy the train ticket at Nyköping station.

***2. Pay for the local bus onboard with your VISA or Mastercard (cash is NOT accepted) and buy the train ticket at Nyköping station.

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===By boat===

===By boat===

[[Image:SwedenStockholmOldTown2.jpg|thumb|250px|Kornhamnstorg, a waterfront square in the Old Town]]

[[Image:SwedenStockholmOldTown2.jpg|thumb|250px|Kornhamnstorg, a waterfront square in the Old Town]]

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There cruiseferries serving Stockholm fall in two categories. The international luxury cruise ships (see [[cruising the Baltic Sea]]), and the local '''[[Baltic Sea ferries]]'''.

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The cruise ships serving Stockholm fall in two categories. The international luxury cruise ships (see [[cruising the Baltic Sea]]), and the local '''[[Baltic Sea ferries]]'''.

The Baltic Sea ferries, locally known as ''finlandsbåtar'' ("Finland boat"), link Stockholm to [[Helsinki]], [[Mariehamn]] and [[Turku]] in [[Finland]], [[Riga]] in [[Latvia]] and [[Tallinn]] in [[Estonia]] every day. Stockholm is the main Swedish terminal for the Baltic Sea cruises. They are by far the cheapest way to get to and from these cities from Stockholm.

The Baltic Sea ferries, locally known as ''finlandsbåtar'' ("Finland boat"), link Stockholm to [[Helsinki]], [[Mariehamn]] and [[Turku]] in [[Finland]], [[Riga]] in [[Latvia]] and [[Tallinn]] in [[Estonia]] every day. Stockholm is the main Swedish terminal for the Baltic Sea cruises. They are by far the cheapest way to get to and from these cities from Stockholm.

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Note carefully that cities and places are written and pronounced differently in Finnish and Swedish. For instance: Helsinki-Helsingfors, Turku-Åbo, Ahvenanmaa-Åland, Maarianhamina-Mariehamn. This is a lesser case with other Baltic Sea countries.

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Note carefully that cities and places are written and pronounced differently in Finnish and Swedish. For instance: Suomi-Finland, Ruotsi-Sverige (Sweden), Tukholma-Stockholm, Helsinki-Helsingfors, Turku-Åbo, Ahvenanmaa-Åland, Maarianhamina-Mariehamn. This is a lesser case with other Baltic Sea countries.

If you intend to use the boats to travel to- or from- Stockholm, it is almost always cheaper to book a cruise ('''kryssning'''), or even two head-to-head cruises and discard the returns, rather than buy one-way tickets. Tickets can be had for as low as 80&nbsp;SEK for a full 4-person cabin, making it practically the cheapest accommodation one can find in a high-income country - at 10&nbsp;SEK/night/person for a two-night Stockholm-Helsinki return cruise (provided you book early or last minute during the weekdays), and rarely (even for a weekend cruise in high season) exceeds 400&nbsp;SEK for the cheapest 4-bed cabin. A one-way ticket, for a shared berth, in comparison, usually exceeds 1000&nbsp;SEK.

If you intend to use the boats to travel to- or from- Stockholm, it is almost always cheaper to book a cruise ('''kryssning'''), or even two head-to-head cruises and discard the returns, rather than buy one-way tickets. Tickets can be had for as low as 80&nbsp;SEK for a full 4-person cabin, making it practically the cheapest accommodation one can find in a high-income country - at 10&nbsp;SEK/night/person for a two-night Stockholm-Helsinki return cruise (provided you book early or last minute during the weekdays), and rarely (even for a weekend cruise in high season) exceeds 400&nbsp;SEK for the cheapest 4-bed cabin. A one-way ticket, for a shared berth, in comparison, usually exceeds 1000&nbsp;SEK.

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When you purchase the 72-hour pass, you also receive free admission to Gröna Lund (see "See" below).

When you purchase the 72-hour pass, you also receive free admission to Gröna Lund (see "See" below).

Stockholm has a metro system called the '''Tunnelbana''' (sometimes abbreviated '''T-Bana''' or just '''T''' on signs). With exactly 100 stations, it is extensive for a city of this size, and will get you around almost all the downtown places as well as many inner suburbs. Trains run from 05:00 to 01:00 on weekdays and around the clock on weekends. Night buses replace the trains on weekdays. The metro is probably the fastest way to travel to many inner suburbs not served by suburban rail, as well as offering a scenic view from the bridge between Gamla Stan and Slussen.

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Stockholm has a metro system called the '''Tunnelbana''', commonly abbreviated '''T-bana''', and symbolised with a blue '''T''' on a round white sign. With exactly 100 stations, it is extensive for a city of this size, and will get you around almost all the downtown places as well as many inner suburbs. Trains run from 05:00 to 01:00 on weekdays and around the clock on weekends. Night buses replace the trains on weekdays. The metro is probably the fastest way to travel to many inner suburbs not served by suburban rail, as well as offering a scenic view from the bridge between Gamla Stan and Slussen.

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The [http://sl.se/sv/Om-SL/Det-har-ar-SL/Konsten-i-trafiken/ SL website] offers a guide to the artwork that is featured in many subway stations, with nearly all stations offering some form of artwork on display. The artwork on the '''blue line''' in particular is of note.

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The [http://sl.se/sv/Om-SL/Det-har-ar-SL/Konsten-i-trafiken/ SL website] offers a guide to the artwork that is featured in many subway stations, with nearly all stations offering some form of permanent artwork on display. The artwork on the '''blue line''' in particular is of note.

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Directions in Stockholm are often accompanied by the name of the closest subway stop, using '''T''' as an abbreviation for "Tunnelbana", e.g. "''T Gamla Stan''". This practice is followed below when appropriate.

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Directions in Stockholm are often accompanied by the name of the closest subway stop, using '''T''' as an abbreviation for "Tunnelbana", e.g. "''T-Gamla stan''". This practice is followed below when appropriate.

====Suburban rail====

====Suburban rail====

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Stockholm also has a suburban rail network''' ('''Pendeltåg''') reaching 53 stations, including Uppsala, Knivsta and Bålsta in Uppsala county, plus Gnesta in Södermanland county. There are four lines:

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Stockholm also has a suburban commuter rail network called '''Pendeltåg'''. Reaching 53 stations, including ''Uppsala'', ''Knivsta'' and ''Bålsta'' in Uppsala län (county), plus ''Gnesta'' in Södermanlands län (county). There are four lines:

Off-peak sees 4 tph (trains per hour) on lines 35 and 36 (2 tph in the bracketed sections), 2 tph on line 38 (only peak services run Älvsjö-Tumba) and 1 tph on line 37. Additional services run during peak hours, giving the core section Karlberg - Älvsjö a peak frequency of 14 tph.

Off-peak sees 4 tph (trains per hour) on lines 35 and 36 (2 tph in the bracketed sections), 2 tph on line 38 (only peak services run Älvsjö-Tumba) and 1 tph on line 37. Additional services run during peak hours, giving the core section Karlberg - Älvsjö a peak frequency of 14 tph.

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In the north-east, the '''Roslagsbanan''' narrow-gauge rail network connects the central Östermalm district with suburbs in the Danderyd, Täby, Vallentuna and Österåker municipalities.

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In the north-east, the '''Roslagsbanan''' narrow-gauge rail network connects the central ''Östermalm'' district with suburbs in the ''Danderyd'', ''Täby'', ''Vallentuna'' and ''Österåker'' municipalities.

Off-peak sees 4 tph (1-2 tph in the bracketed section) on lines 27 and 28, 2 tph on line 29. Stockholms östra is directly adjacent to T-Tekniska Högskolan on the red line towards Mörby C.

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Off-peak sees 4 tph (1-2 tph in the bracketed section) on lines 27 and 28, 2 tph on line 29. The station ''Stockholms östra'' is directly adjacent to ''T-Tekniska högskolan'' on the red line towards ''Mörby centrum''.

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'''Saltsjöbanan''' starts adjacent to ''T-Slussen'' and reaches the suburbs ''Saltsjöbaden'' and ''Solsidan'', south-east of the city.

Suburban trains are included in Stockholm's transport ticket system, with the exception of Knivsta and Uppsala on line 38, which employ Uppsala's local transport fares. It costs 60&nbsp;SEK (35&nbsp;SEK for youth) to get there if you already have an SL travelcard.

Suburban trains are included in Stockholm's transport ticket system, with the exception of Knivsta and Uppsala on line 38, which employ Uppsala's local transport fares. It costs 60&nbsp;SEK (35&nbsp;SEK for youth) to get there if you already have an SL travelcard.

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===Taxi===

===Taxi===

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[[Image:Stockholm taxi pricey vs cheap.jpg|thumb|250px|'''Warning:''' NEVER step into a taxi without checking the yellow price sign on the rear window first! Taxi drivers are legally allowed to charge rip-off prices as long as they are stated clearly on the sign. The taxi to the left is twice as expensive as the one to the right. The price tag should say around 300&nbsp;SEK for a Stockholm cab.]]

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[[Image:Stockholm taxi pricey vs cheap.jpg|thumb|250px|'''Warning:''' NEVER step into a taxi without checking the yellow price sign on the rear passenger window first! Taxi drivers are legally allowed to charge rip-off prices as long as they are stated clearly on the sign. The taxi to the left is twice as expensive as the one to the right. The price tag should say around 300&nbsp;SEK for a Stockholm cab.]]

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Taxis are on the expensive side. Even worse is the fact that some small dodgy operators charge outrageous prices: unsuspecting visitors have been charged thousands of SEK for a trip from the airport. The antidote is to always check the '''black and yellow price sticker''' on the rear window. The price shown in large digits is the maximum (for instance during night hours) fare for a 10 km, 15 minute journey and reputable companies charge around 300&nbsp;SEK for this. If the sticker shows a much higher price, stay away or be ripped off. The taxi market was deregulated several years ago which made it considerably easier to find a taxi but the downside is that the rip-offs aren't even illegal, just "supply and demand"!

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Taxis are on the expensive side. Even worse is the fact that some small dodgy operators charge outrageous prices: unsuspecting visitors have been charged thousands of SEK for a trip from the airport. The antidote is to always check the '''black and yellow price sticker''' on the rear passenger window. The price shown in large digits is the maximum (for instance during night hours) fare for a 10 km, 15 minute journey and reputable companies charge around 300&nbsp;SEK for this. If the sticker shows a much higher price, stay away or be ripped off. The taxi market was deregulated several years ago which made it considerably easier to find a taxi but the downside is that the rip-offs aren't even illegal, just "supply and demand"!

As long as you check the sticker you'll be fine, but if you're still nervous choose the major companies '''TopCab''', +46 8 33 33 33; '''Taxi Kurir''', +46 8 30 00 00; '''Taxi 020''', 020 20 20 20 (free calls from Swedish phones); and '''Taxi Stockholm''', +46 8 15 00 00. Note that many minor companies use "Stockholm" in their names to mimic their competitor, so look for the phone number 15 00 00 which appears below the logo on all Taxi Stockholm cars.

As long as you check the sticker you'll be fine, but if you're still nervous choose the major companies '''TopCab''', +46 8 33 33 33; '''Taxi Kurir''', +46 8 30 00 00; '''Taxi 020''', 020 20 20 20 (free calls from Swedish phones); and '''Taxi Stockholm''', +46 8 15 00 00. Note that many minor companies use "Stockholm" in their names to mimic their competitor, so look for the phone number 15 00 00 which appears below the logo on all Taxi Stockholm cars.

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The Swedish National football team plays international games on '''Friends Arena''' in [[Solna]].

The Swedish National football team plays international games on '''Friends Arena''' in [[Solna]].

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The Swedish top football league, ''Allsvenskan'', is considerably weaker than most of its Western European sister leagues, and Swedish teams generally struggle in the European cups. The fans don't seem to mind that much, and the games can still be an exciting experience. Unlike in continental Europe, the football season starts in April and ends in October. There are currently two teams from Stockholm in Allsvenskan: ''AIK'', playing on ''Friends Arena'', and ''Djurgården'', playing on ''Stockholms Stadion'' on [[Stockholm/Östermalm|Östermalm]].

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The Swedish top football league, ''Allsvenskan'', is considerably weaker than most of its Western European sister leagues, and Swedish teams generally struggle in the European cups. The fans don't seem to mind that much, and the games can still be an exciting experience. Unlike in continental Europe, the football season starts in April and ends in October. There are currently three teams from Stockholm in Allsvenskan: ''AIK'', playing at ''Friends Arena''; ''Djurgården'', playing at ''Tele 2 Arena'' on [[Stockholm/Östermalm|Östermalm]] and ''Brommapojkarna'', playing at Grimsta IP. There's also a team in the second division, ''Hammarby'', playing at ''Tele 2 Arena''.

====Ice hockey====

====Ice hockey====

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====Running races====

====Running races====

*One of the most visible sporting events is the '''Stockholm Marathon''' [http://www.stockholmmarathon.se/Start/index.cfm?Lan_ID=3], held annually on a Saturday in late May or early June, when some 18,000 participants run two laps around the inner city, while the Stockholmers gather on the sidewalks to cheer.

*One of the most visible sporting events is the '''Stockholm Marathon''' [http://www.stockholmmarathon.se/Start/index.cfm?Lan_ID=3], held annually on a Saturday in late May or early June, when some 18,000 participants run two laps around the inner city, while the Stockholmers gather on the sidewalks to cheer.

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** ''Lidingöloppet'', branded as the world's largest cross-country race, and a part of the Swedish Classic Circuit, on [[Lidingö]] in early September.

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** ''Lidingöloppet'' [http://www.lidingoloppet.se/en-GB/], branded as the world's largest cross-country race, and a part of the Swedish Classic Circuit, on [[Lidingö]] in the last weekend of September.

===Performances===

===Performances===

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===WiFi===

===WiFi===

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If you have your own laptop or smartphone, many cafés, hotels, libraries offer free wi-fi access. McDonalds and the local version Max also offers good free Wifi in there restaurants. The site [http://www.wifikartan.se/Stockholm/ Wifikartan] show most of the free wi-fi access points in Stockholm and most of Sweden as well.

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If you have your own laptop or smartphone, many cafés, hotels, libraries offer free wi-fi access. McDonalds and the local version Max also offers good free Wifi in their restaurants. The site [http://www.wifikartan.se/Stockholm/ Wifikartan] show most of the free wi-fi access points in Stockholm and most of Sweden as well.

* '''Skype''' offers wi-fi access in some areas called Skype Zones [http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/skypezones/]. This service used to be offered for free as a test, but now seems to be subject to a fee.

* '''Skype''' offers wi-fi access in some areas called Skype Zones [http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/skypezones/]. This service used to be offered for free as a test, but now seems to be subject to a fee.

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* '''[[Södertörn|Bornsjön]]'''&mdash; For a real wild animal safari close to Stockholm, Bornsjön is the best spot. It is a nature reserve 30 minutes drive south of Stockholm. The natural environment is perfect here for watching mammals like moose, roe deer and wild boar. Stockholm Outback offers tours down to the reserve every evening during the summer. For further information call +46 73-6578708 or visit their homepage [http://www.sthlmoutback.se/].

* '''[[Södertörn|Bornsjön]]'''&mdash; For a real wild animal safari close to Stockholm, Bornsjön is the best spot. It is a nature reserve 30 minutes drive south of Stockholm. The natural environment is perfect here for watching mammals like moose, roe deer and wild boar. Stockholm Outback offers tours down to the reserve every evening during the summer. For further information call +46 73-6578708 or visit their homepage [http://www.sthlmoutback.se/].

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* '''[[Roslagen]]''', the coastal area of Uppland. '''Norrtälje''' is the major city.

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* '''[[Roslagen]]''', the coastal area of ''Uppland'', north-east of Stockholm. '''Norrtälje''' is the major city, conveniently reached by buses leaving from ''Tekniska högskolan''. The area offers an almost endless variety of public lakes, beaches, coves, cliffs, islands, forests, farmland, wild animals, fishing, trekking, free camping and just about everything for nature lovers and independent travelers. Also a perfect location to see Swedes in their recluse summer homes, enjoying all concievable outdoor activities and marine sports.

Stockholm[16] is the capital and largest city of Sweden, with nearly 2 million inhabitants within its vicinities. The inner city is made up of 14 islands connected by some 50 bridges on Lake Mälaren, which flows into the brackish Baltic Sea, and passes the Stockholm archipelago with some 24,000 islands and islets.

The city is a cosmopolitan place with both classical and modern architecture, and a captivating Old Town, Gamla Stan. Over 30% of the city area is made up of waterways, and another 30% is made up of green spaces. Air quality is 3rd best of the European capitals [17] - behind Berlin and Copenhagen.

Districts

This article gives an overview of the Stockholm metropolitan area, Stor-Stockholm, which includes Stockholm County except Norrtälje municipality, which is in Roslagen.

Most venues are found in the inner city, "innerstaden", historically the zone within the city tolls. The Municipality of Stockholm extends beyond the inner city, including the western and southern suburbs.

The inner city

NorrmalmNorrmalm contains the central business district known as City, with several department stores and shopping malls, museums, hotels and restaurants too many to mention, most of Stockholm's major theatres, and the central railway station. The pedestrian shopping street Drottninggatan runs in a north-south direction through the area, by the square Sergels Torg. The islets Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen can be reached on foot. Vasastan is a mainly residential area, where the Odenplan square offers shopping and nightlife.

ÖstermalmÖstermalm is an affluent borough, including Nationalstadsparken[18], "the National City Park". The Stureplan square is a hub for upmarket shopping and nightlife. Södra Djurgården or simply Djurgården is an island-park, with several major tourist venues - the Skansen open air museum, the Gröna Lund amusement park, and the Vasa Museum. The borough also contains a forest, a museum cluster with the Science and Technology Museum and Kaknästornet, as well as Stockholm University and the Royal Institute of Technology

Gamla StanAn island with great waterfront views, the northern part of the Old Town is dominated by the Royal Palace and the Swedish Parliament. The rest of the island is a picturesque collection of old buildings and narrow cobblestone streets. The adjacent island Riddarholmen holds a church and several old government buildings.

SödermalmSödermalm is a rugged island with buildings of all ages. It is always commonly referred to as Söder (The South). Fjällgatan offers some of the best views of Stockholm and the Baltic Sea inlet. The major north-south street Götgatan and adjacent streets are littered with a a variety of restaurants, bars and shops. It starts like a hump next to Slussen with the busy pedestrian zone called Götgatsbacken ("The slope of Götgatan"), and passes Medborgarplatsen ("Citizens' square"), which has plenty to offer in terms of shopping and night life. The "bohemian" area south of Folkungagatan is occasionally nicknamed "SoFo", with obvious inspiration from SoHo. Among its variety of restaurants, cafés, pubs, odd shops and trendy boutiques one will encounter the most liberal assembly of successful but also wannabe Swedes. Shopping and exposing their offspring at the idyllic square Nytorget or just basking in the lovely park Vita Bergen. At Skeppargränd people still inhabit an entire block of remaining small wooden houses along cobbled streets from a bygone era. Långholmen is a lush island off Södermalm. This is where the notorious prison Långholmsfängelset is situated. The cells have since been converted into small hotel rooms, and the sometimes macabre history of this historical complex is displayed in cabinets. The waterfront has some of central Stockholm’s most popular beaches and there is also room for nudists on some of the cliffs.

KungsholmenKungsholmen is an island at the western inner city, with Stadshuset (Stockholm City Hall) at its eastern tip. Further west, a collection of relaxed neighbourhood bars and restaurants can be found. West of the Fridhemsplan transport hub and the Västermalmsgallerian shopping mall, the island is more suburban. Lilla Essingen and Stora Essingen are two smaller, mainly residential, islands that belong to the borough of Kungsholmen. Close to the park Rålambshovsparken is a nice natural beach, Smedsuddsbadet, suitable for children.

Suburbs and bordering towns

Western SuburbsThe Western suburbs, Västerort, were built up during the late 20th century. Stockholm-Bromma Airport dominates the area. Vällingby, founded in the 1950s, is one of Europe's first planned suburbs. Solvalla is a prominent horse-race stadium. Kista is an international centre of information technology, also known for the busy shopping mall Kista Galleria and the landmark skyscrapers Kista Science Tower and Victoria Tower.

Solna and Sundbyberg, just north of central Stockholm, are two separate cities within the Storstockholm (Greater Stockholm) area. Solna is the home of Friends Arena, the region's largest stadium, the vast royal park and recreational area Hagaparken, and the Karolinska Institute, a leading institution of medical research. Haga slott (palace) in Hagaparken is currently the home of crown princess Victoria and her family. Sundbyberg is the smallest municipality in Sweden and sometimes referred to as "Sumpan".

Danderyd and Täby, to the north-east, are affluent municipality suburbs that can be reached by underground and bus or Roslagsbanan, a narrow-gauge railway. Danderyd has the lowest income tax In Sweden and the Djursholm area displays some of the most expensive private homes in the whole country. Täby centrum claims to be one of the biggest shopping malls in Scandinavia, and the horse-race track Täby Galopp will entertain spectators for a few more years. Runriket at Jarlabankes bro in Täby kyrkby is the gateway to the world's largest collection of Viking Age standing stones with narrations carved in runic script. The museum trail is always open and stretches many miles along public roads and pathways into the municipality Vallentuna. Nearby Täby kyrka (church) holds some of the most vivid medieval wall paintings in the country.

Vaxholm is the gateway to the northern Stockholm archipelago, and a ferry hub. The town has a great waterfront view and a quaint small-scale shopping area. It also sports Vaxholms fästning, which is a fortress turned into a coastal defense museum.

Värmdö, the largest island, similar to the mainland.

Sandhamn, a resort-island in the outer archipelago.

Utö, a rural island with an abandoned silver-mine.

LidingöLidingö is a separate city within the Storstockholm (Greater Stockholm) area. Situated on a large island just east of central Stockholm it boasts affluent suburbs, small town centers and quaint rural areas. Points of interests are Millesgården: an impressive open-air sculpture museum; Bosön: a national sports facility; Ekholmsnäs: a ski slope; and Elfvik: a farmland with an array of conference hotels. Lidingö is reached by Lidingöbron (Lidingö bridge) and buses from Ropsten terminal station on the red underground line.

EkeröEkerö in Lake Mälaren is the only Swedish municipality with two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Royal residence Drottningholm and Viking Age settlements Birka on the island Björkö alongside Hovgården on the island Adelsö. The islands also contain manors, farms, forests and beaches.

Southern suburbsThe southern parts of Stockholm municipality, Söderort, is best known for the stadium cluster: Globen the Globe Arena, clearly visible from most of Södermalm, host ice hockey games as well as international artist performances, the smaller Hovet and the open-air stadium Söderstadion. Nearby Skogskyrkogården (The Woodland Cemetery), [19], is an UNESCO [20]World Heritage site. To the south-west of the inner city, the borough Liljeholmen has a pleasant recreational area around lake Trekanten.

Nacka and Värmdö, to the south-east, are suburban municipalities with large recreational areas and much of the southern part of the Stockholm Archipelago.

Huddinge, Haninge and Tyresö to the south are residential suburban municipalities with large recreational areas, including the large Tyresta virgin forest, one of 28 national parks in Sweden, where the oldest pine trees are around 400 years old.

Södertälje, a city with a distinct history where the Baltic sea meets lake Mälaren in Sweden's biggest lock. Södertälje is the home of Tom tits - Stockholm's biggest science center for children, the Torekällberget outdoor museum, and Tvetagården - a well known hostel just by lake Måsnaren.

Understand

The Royal Guard on parade at the Royal Palace

Stockholm is not the oldest town in Sweden. As Sigtuna, Sweden's first capital, was sacked by pirates in 1187, the Swedes built up fortresses along the inlet of Mälaren, and Birger Jarl (Jarl is a title corresponding to British Earl) had a fortress built on an island later known as Gamla Stan. The first records of Stockholm were written in 1252 by Birger. As the land raised, the Stockholm straits became the only waterway between Mälaren and the Baltic Sea during the 15th century, replacing Uppsala as the effective capital. Since King Gustavus Vasa liberated Stockholm in 1523, Stockholm has remained Sweden's most important centre of commerce, though Gothenburg later became the largest international port. During the 17th century, Stockholm was the base of the Swedish Empire, with a land area twice the country's current size, nearly encircling the Baltic Sea.

The city contains buildings from all ages since the 13th century. Like the rest of Sweden it was untouched by the World Wars, but particularly between 1955 and 1975, hundreds of old buildings in Norrmalm were demolished in a large-scale modernization process, encouraged by similar projects in other European cities. Since then, only infills and a few areas have been developed with new architecture in central Stockholm.

Despite its northern location, Stockholm has fairly mild temperatures throughout the year. As a result of its northerly latitude, the city sees a dramatic seasonal variation in sunlight, from more than 18 hours of daylight around midsummer, to around 6 hours of daylight in late December. Stockholm enjoys an average of nearly 2,000 hours of sunshine a year. Average yearly precipitation is 539 mm (21.2"), with July and August slightly the wettest months.

Throughout the summer, the average daily high temperatures reach 20-25°C (68-77°F), with lows of 12-15°C (54-59°F). However, summer heat waves are frequent and temperatures above 25°C+ (77°F+) are not uncommon. Autumn tends to be rather cool and often rainy; in October, average daily highs dip to approximately 10°C (50°F). In the winter months, from December through early March, average daily temperatures fall between -3 and 3°C (26-38°F). Milder periods occur, but so do cold spells with temperatures around -10°C (14°F). Snowfall can occur from late November to early April, but the amount of snowfall varies greatly from year to year and through the winter season. Deep snow cover throughout the winter is rather uncommon. Spring is the driest season, with average daily temperature reaching highs of 9°C (48°F) in April and 16°C (61°F) in May.

Tourist information

Stockholm Tourist Center, Vasagatan 14 (T T-Centralen), [21]. Open M-F 09:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 10:00-16:00. The official tourist centre has a lot of information in English and helpful staff. They also sell tickets to museums and sightseeing tours.

There are several methods for travelling between Stockholm and Arlanda, listed in order of popularity:

Express Buses

Flygbussarna[25] runs buses frequently to and from the City Terminal, just next to the Central Station. The journey takes 40 minutes and costs 119 SEK, 99 SEK for online purchases, and 89 SEK for people under 25. You can't buy tickets with cash on board, but credit cards are accepted. The buses make a few stops in the northern suburbs, as well as Vasastaden, along the way.

Swebus[26] runs buses to and from the City Terminal, 1-4 times/hour Mon-Fri, 1-2 times/hour on Sat-Sun. The journey takes 35-45 minutes. Adult tickets cost 99 SEK/178 SEK return. Student and senior tickets cost 72 SEK each way. A ticket for youth under 20 costs 60 SEK each way. Four children up to age 16 travel free with full paying adult. You can't buy tickets with cash on board, but credit cards are accepted. There are multiple outlets at the airport to buy your ticket electronically. You can also buy your ticket e.g. on the Swebus site on the internet, by phone (0771-218 218), at 7-Eleven, Pressbyrån and Swebus ticket offices.

By express rail: The Arlanda Express Train[27], departs from the lower level of each airport terminal every 15 minutes and arrives at Stockholm Central Station in 20 minutes. Adult tickets normally cost 260 SEK one-way, 490 SEK return. During Thursday-Sunday and holidays, tickets cost 380 SEK for 2 adults traveling together. Tickets for people under the age of 25 and ISIC holders pay 130 SEK. Children under 17 travel free with a paying adult. Tickets can be bought from kiosks at the platform, online, or on the train for a 100 SEK surcharge.

By regular rail: Regular trains serve the airport through a third station, Arlanda Central, located under Sky City between terminal 4 and 5.

Line 38 of the Stockholm suburban rail, pendeltåg, runs from Uppsala via Stockholm Central Station to Älvsjö (with Stockholm International Fairs), stopping in the northern suburbs, with peak hour services continuing to the southern suburbs of Huddinge and Tumba. The train runs twice an hour and takes 37 minutes to Stockholm, and local transport tickets can be used and bought at the entrance to the station, though everyone 18 of age has to pay a station access fee of 75 SEK (though young adults with a teenage appearance can easily claim to be under 18 and get through - they won't check your ID if you're confident about this). A one-way ticket to Stockholm city costs 125 SEK including the station access fee (110 SEK for people 18-20 and 40 SEK for people under 18, though again, people 18-20 can easily get a 40 SEK ticket by claiming to be under 18). For 210 SEK (165 SEK for people 18-20 and 90 SEK for people under 18) you can get a 24-hour travelcard (if you already have a plastic SL Access card, this is reduced by 20 SEK). These prices all include the station access fee, if applicable. See [28] for local transport tickets.

There are also faster regional trains on the Linköping - Stockholm - Gävle route, which cost 278 SEK (2nd class) to central Stockholm if bought on the spot, though if booked approx. 1-2 months in advance, they can be as cheap as 95 SEK. They run non-stop and take 20 minutes, like the Arlanda Express, but only operate hourly (with several strange gaps), but if you are on time the regional train can be much cheaper than Arlanda Express, though not quite as cheap as suburban rail or SL bus. Finally, long-distance trains from Stockholm operate to points in central Sweden, like Umeå, Mora or Östersund. It is not, however, permitted to use these trains to travel from the airport to central Stockholm. See [29] for regional/intercity rail tickets.

By local bus and rail combination[30]: If the station access fee for the direct suburban rail service bothers you, local bus 583 connects the airport to Märsta railway station, and changing to a suburban train (line 36) will get you to central Stockholm in 65 minutes, for a regular public-transport fee, which is 60 SEK for a one-way trip. Several kinds of discounted tickets can be purchased at the airport, making this route the cheapest but by far the slowest way to get to and from Arlanda, and unless on an extreme budget, taking the direct suburban train is generally worth it, see #Regular rail section above. See the #Get Around section for more details on the SL services and ticketing system.

By taxi: Major taxi companies operate on a fixed price basis between Arlanda and central Stockholm. Prices at the taxi stands currently range from 450 SEK (Transfer Taxi) to 520 SEK. Generally, you can freely choose among the waiting taxis or ask the operator for a specific company. There is free taxi pricing so beware of the smaller, expensive, taxi companies. A yellow and white sign with price comparison (per 10 km and 15 minutes) is on every taxi window, and the price should not ever be more than 350 SEK. A taxi ride to central Stockholm takes approximately 40 minutes. With some companies, you can get a lower price if you pre-book your ride. With Airport Cab (+46 8 25 25 23 [31]) the cost is 430 SEK from Arlanda to Stockholm, 390 SEK from Stockholm to Arlanda. With Taxi Solna (+46 8 280 280 [32]) the cost is 445 SEK from Arlanda to Stockholm, 350 SEK from Stockholm to Arlanda. See the Taxi section below for some general advice on taxi travel in Stockholm.

Bromma Airport, (IATA: BMA; ICAO: ESSB) is a smaller airport, located inside the city about 8 km west of the centre, mainly used for domestic flights, but also Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark, Oslo and Skien in Norway, Tallinn in Estonia and Brussels in Belgium.

Airport coaches[33] offer a more expensive connection to the City Terminal at 79 SEK, taking 20 min.

A cheaper option (26 SEK, 18 SEK for people under 20) is to take local bus 152 to Sundbyberg station, and from there a suburban train to Stockholm Central (taking 25 min in total).

Skavsta Airport (IATA: NYO; ICAO: ESKN) mostly used by Ryanair and Wizzair, and offers flights from cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Madrid, Rome, Tallinn, Vilnius and Warsaw. Located 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Stockholm, near the town Nyköping.

The easiest option is to take Airport coaches[34] go to/from the City Terminal in Stockholm. Adults 139 SEK online or 159 SEK at the bus terminal one way; 248 SEK online, 259 SEK at the bus terminal round trip. The travel time is about 80 minutes.

A cheaper option if booked well in advance is to take take local bus 515 or 715 (timetable [35], [36], M-F = Mo-Fri, L = Sat, SoH = Sun + holidays) to Nyköping rail station (alight at Nyköping Centralstation), from where SJ regional trains (timetable [37], direct services run to stations marked in white) on the Linköping - Stockholm - (Gävle) route connect to Stockholm (Gävle trains also serve Arlanda, thus providing a direct rail connection to Arlanda airport). The fare starts 26 + 49 SEK (16 + 49 SEK for youth under 20) and tickets can be bought the following two ways:

1. Buy a combined ticket from Skavsta to Stockholm at SJ:s website[38] which is both valid on the local bus and the regional train.

2. Pay for the local bus onboard with your VISA or Mastercard (cash is NOT accepted) and buy the train ticket at Nyköping station.

Travel time from Skavsta is 80 min to Stockholm and 100 min to Arlanda airport.

Note though that the cheapest fare is only offered on select days; on other days fares start at 97 SEK. The cheapest tickets are also nonrefundable and nonrebookable.

Västerås Airport (IATA: VST; ICAO: ESOW) is situated 100 km west of Stockholm near Västerås. Serves Ryanair flights to/from London (Stansted). Like Skavsta, Västerås can be reached in two ways:

A public taxi shuttle (order can be made here [40])runs between the airport and Västerås rail station in 6-7 minutes, departing from outside the terminal 20 minutes after each flight arrival and costing 50 SEK one way. From there regional trains on the Stockholm - Västerås - Örebro - Hallsberg - Göteborg route (timetable [41], M-F = Mon-Fri, L = Sat, SoH = Sun + holidays) connect to Stockholm in 53 min at a price of 59 SEK, resulting in a total fare of 109 SEK. Total travel time Västerås Airport - Stockholm is 65 min, but this option is as much as 25 minutes faster since the airport coach departs 10 minutes later from the airport and arrives there 10 minutes earlier.

By train

The main station, Stockholms Central, serves both commuter and long-distance routes. It is located in lower Norrmalm, connected to T-Centralen, the central hub for the subway system, and Cityterminalen, the long-distance bus station. The national rail company, SJ, has a store located inside the station, and a travel planner with ticket booking service on its web page [42].

Internationally, there are services from Copenhagen (Denmark) (5 h) and Oslo (Norway) (6 h) with several direct connections daily. A daily overnight train is available from the northern Norwegian city of Narvik (14 h). From Trondheim, a quick change in Östersund is needed.

There are numerous direct domestic services to Stockholm from most major cities. The major ones being high-speed X2000 services from Gothenburg (3 h), Malmö (4½ h), Sundsvall (3½ h) and Östersund (5 h). Conventional trains mostly follow the same routes, and run slightly slower, but can slash prices considerably. Most other mid-sized cities in Sweden have a train connection with Stockholm. Domestic night trains are available from Malmö, and from the northern cities of Luleå, Kiruna and Umeå.

The rail line has some very scenic views just south of Stockholm, passing over several bridges.

If looking for a bit of luxury, then a new train named Blå Tåget (Blue Train) [43] now travels the route Gothenburg-Stockholm-Uppsala daily except Fridays. It's slower than regular trains, taking a lengthy 4½ hours to reach Stockholm but has first class seatings and a real restaurant onboard. WiFi is included in the price.

By bus

The City Terminal (Cityterminalen[44]) is the main bus terminal, directly connected to Stockholm Central and the T Centralen subway station. There are multiple daily departures to most other cities in Sweden, as well as a few international routes. Swebus Express[45] operates routes to Copenhagen and Oslo with several daily departures, and a twice-weekly service to Berlin. Eurolines[46] has some departures to Copenhagen. Smaller operators offer connections with Prague, Budapest, Zagreb, Banja Luka[47] among other cities.

The Baltic Sea ferries, locally known as finlandsbåtar ("Finland boat"), link Stockholm to Helsinki, Mariehamn and Turku in Finland, Riga in Latvia and Tallinn in Estonia every day. Stockholm is the main Swedish terminal for the Baltic Sea cruises. They are by far the cheapest way to get to and from these cities from Stockholm.

Note carefully that cities and places are written and pronounced differently in Finnish and Swedish. For instance: Suomi-Finland, Ruotsi-Sverige (Sweden), Tukholma-Stockholm, Helsinki-Helsingfors, Turku-Åbo, Ahvenanmaa-Åland, Maarianhamina-Mariehamn. This is a lesser case with other Baltic Sea countries.

If you intend to use the boats to travel to- or from- Stockholm, it is almost always cheaper to book a cruise (kryssning), or even two head-to-head cruises and discard the returns, rather than buy one-way tickets. Tickets can be had for as low as 80 SEK for a full 4-person cabin, making it practically the cheapest accommodation one can find in a high-income country - at 10 SEK/night/person for a two-night Stockholm-Helsinki return cruise (provided you book early or last minute during the weekdays), and rarely (even for a weekend cruise in high season) exceeds 400 SEK for the cheapest 4-bed cabin. A one-way ticket, for a shared berth, in comparison, usually exceeds 1000 SEK.

Tallink[48] ferries to Mariehamn and Tallinn in Estonia depart from Värtahamnen port, and ferries to Riga in Latvia from Frihamnen port. For Värtahamnen, take the red underground line to Gärdet, exit at the front, and walk 400 metres to the terminal (the route is signposted). For Frihamnen, take the red subway line to Karlaplan, exit at the front, take bus 72 from the avenue to Filmhuset, and then bus 76 to Magasin 3, which is outside the terminal. From the Frihamnen terminal, bus 1 goes to the center of Stockholm (going along Kungsgatan, which is north of the central bus station and a block north of the central railway station). When leaving the Frihamnen terminal and heading inland the bus stop is on the road around to the left; it has a ticket machine that only accepts credit cards (i.e. does not take cash).

Silja Line[49], owned by Tallink, has ferries to Mariehamn, Helsinki and Turku departing from Värtahamnen port. See directions above.

Viking Line[50] ferries to Mariehamn, Helsinki and Turku depart from the eastern part of Stadsgårdsterminalen in northeastern Södermalm. To get there from the city centre, take the green or red underground lines to Slussen, and take the exit for Slussenterminalen. This bus terminal is the starting point of numerous suburban buses to the eastern suburbs. Take the 401 - 422, 442 - 449 or 471 bus one single stop to Londonviadukten and the port will be on your left. Alternatively normal town buses 53 and 71 link Slussen and the Viking Line terminal, albeit via the backstreets. Yet another convenient but more expensive alternative is the shuttle buses operated by Flygbussarna that go directly from the terminal to the central bus station (Cityterminalen) in the city center. The price for a ticket on these are 40 SEK (single) and 60 SEK (return) and tickets are sold on board, at Flygbussarna's and Viking Line's booths in the bus station, and if you want to buy the ticket on the bus you can do it but only pay with a credit card. There are multiple departures [51] from the port 15-60 min after the ferry arrives and from the station 1-3 hours before the ferry departs. If you are driving to the boat, follow the signs to Slussen, then Stadsgårdsterminalen (note that Slussen is confusing for even locals, so don't feel embarrassed if you end up spinning in the intersection a few times) and then Finland/Viking Line

Birka Cruises[52] ferries to Mariehamn in Åland depart from Western Stadsgårdsterminalen, about 700 meters from Slussen (right in front of Viking's terminal). See above for instructions.

Holland America Cruises also use Stadsgårdsterminalen in eastern Södermalm. See above for instruction.

Get around

Public transport

Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, SL (Stockholm Public Transport) [53] runs an extensive subway, commuter train and bus system as well as some light rail and ferry services, all using an integrated ticket system. In an attempt to cut down Stockholm now operates a RFID card called "SL Access". The card costs 20 SEK to purchase and can load all tickets available in the SL fare scheme.

There are two forms of ticketing, pass-based or coupon-based. Travellers need 2, 3 or 4 coupons, depending on how many zones the trip goes through. Single tickets are cheaper when bought in advance (22 SEK, 14 SEK for children/seniors) rather than when bought from the clerk, and mean making one trip in one zone costs at least 44 SEK for adults. There are strips of 16 coupons (förköpsremsa) for 200 SEK (120 SEK for children/seniors). Strips can be shared as long as you go to the same destination. All these tickets are valid for one hour, during which you can make unlimited changes. Note that children under 12 travelling with adults travel free from mid-day Friday to midnight Sunday.

There are also passes available for 24 hours (115 SEK, 70 SEK for for children/seniors), 72 hours (230 SEK, 140 SEK for for children/seniors), 7 days (300 SEK, 180 SEK for for children/seniors) and if you are going to be in Stockholm for a while, go ahead and purchase a 30-day card, which allows unrestricted access to all of the buses, trams, subways, and commuter trains, as well as the Djurgården ferry, for 790 SEK.

When you purchase the 72-hour pass, you also receive free admission to Gröna Lund (see "See" below).

The SL website has detailed ticket and price information, and a journey planner. It is always updated.

Metro

Artwork at the Tekniska Högskolan metro station.

Stockholm has a metro system called the Tunnelbana, commonly abbreviated T-bana, and symbolised with a blue T on a round white sign. With exactly 100 stations, it is extensive for a city of this size, and will get you around almost all the downtown places as well as many inner suburbs. Trains run from 05:00 to 01:00 on weekdays and around the clock on weekends. Night buses replace the trains on weekdays. The metro is probably the fastest way to travel to many inner suburbs not served by suburban rail, as well as offering a scenic view from the bridge between Gamla Stan and Slussen.

The SL website offers a guide to the artwork that is featured in many subway stations, with nearly all stations offering some form of permanent artwork on display. The artwork on the blue line in particular is of note.

Directions in Stockholm are often accompanied by the name of the closest subway stop, using T as an abbreviation for "Tunnelbana", e.g. "T-Gamla stan". This practice is followed below when appropriate.

Suburban rail

Stockholm also has a suburban commuter rail network called Pendeltåg. Reaching 53 stations, including Uppsala, Knivsta and Bålsta in Uppsala län (county), plus Gnesta in Södermanlands län (county). There are four lines:

35: (Bålsta) - Kungsängen - Stockholm C - Västerhaninge - (Nynäshamn)

36: Märsta - Stockholm C - Södertälje C

37: Södertälje C - Gnesta (connects with line 36 at Södertälje hamn)

38: Uppsala - Arlanda Airport - Stockholm C - Älvsjö - (Tumba).

Off-peak sees 4 tph (trains per hour) on lines 35 and 36 (2 tph in the bracketed sections), 2 tph on line 38 (only peak services run Älvsjö-Tumba) and 1 tph on line 37. Additional services run during peak hours, giving the core section Karlberg - Älvsjö a peak frequency of 14 tph.

In the north-east, the Roslagsbanan narrow-gauge rail network connects the central Östermalm district with suburbs in the Danderyd, Täby, Vallentuna and Österåker municipalities.

27: Stockholms östra - Roslags Näsby - Ormsta - (Lindholmen - Kårsta)

28: Stockholms östra - Roslags Näsby - Åkersberga - (Österskär)

29: Stockholms östra - Djursholms Ösby - Näsbypark

Off-peak sees 4 tph (1-2 tph in the bracketed section) on lines 27 and 28, 2 tph on line 29. The station Stockholms östra is directly adjacent to T-Tekniska högskolan on the red line towards Mörby centrum.

Saltsjöbanan starts adjacent to T-Slussen and reaches the suburbs Saltsjöbaden and Solsidan, south-east of the city.

Suburban trains are included in Stockholm's transport ticket system, with the exception of Knivsta and Uppsala on line 38, which employ Uppsala's local transport fares. It costs 60 SEK (35 SEK for youth) to get there if you already have an SL travelcard.

Light rail, tram, bus and ferry

Nockebybanan at Alvik Station

Tvärbanan is a light rail line connecting the western and southern suburbs with a new section forming a 3/4 loop around Stockholm opening mid-2013.

Lidingöbanan connects Ropsten on Östermalm to Lidingö. This line provides a scenic view at the end of Lidingö across the archipelago. Several ferry services also call at Gåshaga brygga at the end of the line.

Nockebybanan in the western suburbs connects the district of Nockeby to Alvik on the green line of the Tunnelbana. The buses heading to Drottningholm Palace call at Nockeby (although in practice, taking the bus from Brommaplan on the green line of the Tunnelbana is more efficient) as well as passing through the quaint garden-city of Bromma.

Spårväg City is a city tram connecting Sergels Torg (at T-Centralen) to Waldemarsudde on the Djurgården island, as serving the Nordiska Museet, Gröna Lund and Skansen.

Buses serve most populated areas where rail does not reach. Four inner city main lines numbered from 1 to 4 are operated by large blue buses (weekdays every 3-10 minutes), the other, generally less frequent lines (weekdays 7-20 minutes), by red buses.

There are also ferries going to Djurgården and Skeppsholmen. Bus and light rail is included in any SL ticket or pass, and travel with the Djurgården ferry is included with any 24- or 72-hour pass, 7-day pass as well as the monthly pass. Suburban ferries, airport buses, the Arlanda Express and regional trains are not part of the SL network, and thus not included in any of these tickets.

Bike

Stockholm City Bike stand.

Cycling is an attractive option during warm seasons, and there are many bikepaths. On a bike, a journey across the inner city takes no longer than 30 minutes, and can be faster than travelling by subway or car. There are cycle paths along most major streets and drivers are generally considerate towards cyclists. In winter, when paths can be covered by ice, extra care should be taken. Bikepaths have a bicycle painted on the ground and/or round blue signs with a white bike. Make sure you bike on the right hand side of the street, just as the cars.

Stockholm City Bikes[55]. In the summer months, you can use the city-operated bike loan service by purchasing a key-card. Bike stands throughout the city allows you to pick up a bike in one stand and leave it in another. A three-day (minimum period) key-card costs 165 SEK and a season pass costs 300 SEK. You may not use a bike for more than three hours at a time, but it is possible to switch to a new bike when returning a used one. Key-cards can be bought at an SL Center. [56]. Major hotel in the city will have three-day key-card available for guests at the front desk. Note if you want to register for a key card, you will need proof of ID, for example a passport or driving licence.

BikeSweden AB ([57]) BikeSweden offers a variety of high quality bikes in the center of the city. From mountainbikes to childrens bikes and city bikes. Child carriers and child seats are available. Helmets are included in the rental price. The bikes have at least 7 gears and are maximum of two seasons old. 3 hours from 150 SEK. Full day from 190 SEK. Narvavägen 13-17. Open 10:00-18:00 April-October. Call to rent bikes off season +46(0)8-403 07 520, [email protected]

Djurgårdsbrons Sjöcafé, Galärvarvsvägen 2 (on Djurgården, just to the right as you cross Djurgårdsbron) [58]. Only open in the summer months. Rents bikes for 250 SEK per day. Also rents roller blades and kayaks.

Gamla Stans Cykel, Stora Nygatan 20 (T Gamla Stan) [59]. Open all year. Rents three speed city bikes for 190 SEK per day or 500 SEK for 3 days.

Servicedepån - Cykelstallet, Scheelegatan 15 (T Rådhuset) [60]. Open all year. Rents 3 speed city bikes, 21 speed mountain/hybrids (200 SEK/day), and racers. They have metal-stud snow tyres for winter ice use, but you will have to ask in advance. Helmets are free with the bike, other accessories like panniers can also be rented. Rental period is from 10:00-18:00, full 24 hours, or several days.

Taxi

Warning: NEVER step into a taxi without checking the yellow price sign on the rear passenger window first! Taxi drivers are legally allowed to charge rip-off prices as long as they are stated clearly on the sign. The taxi to the left is twice as expensive as the one to the right. The price tag should say around 300 SEK for a Stockholm cab.

Taxis are on the expensive side. Even worse is the fact that some small dodgy operators charge outrageous prices: unsuspecting visitors have been charged thousands of SEK for a trip from the airport. The antidote is to always check the black and yellow price sticker on the rear passenger window. The price shown in large digits is the maximum (for instance during night hours) fare for a 10 km, 15 minute journey and reputable companies charge around 300 SEK for this. If the sticker shows a much higher price, stay away or be ripped off. The taxi market was deregulated several years ago which made it considerably easier to find a taxi but the downside is that the rip-offs aren't even illegal, just "supply and demand"!

As long as you check the sticker you'll be fine, but if you're still nervous choose the major companies TopCab, +46 8 33 33 33; Taxi Kurir, +46 8 30 00 00; Taxi 020, 020 20 20 20 (free calls from Swedish phones); and Taxi Stockholm, +46 8 15 00 00. Note that many minor companies use "Stockholm" in their names to mimic their competitor, so look for the phone number 15 00 00 which appears below the logo on all Taxi Stockholm cars.

Most taxi firms operate a fixed price regime between central Stockholm and Arlanda airport, mirroring the rates for the journey into town of around 450-500 SEK. It is a good idea to check with the driver that you will get the fixed price before you set off - the meter price for the same ride may cost twice as much. Note that the taxis often have big stickers advertising their airport price: do not confuse them with the black and yellow price sticker pictured in this article.

Authorized taxis have yellow license plates. Late at night in the city centre, you may be offered a ride with an unauthorized taxi, svarttaxi (literally "black taxi"), usually by discrete whispering of "taxi". Most of the time this will get you home for roughly the same cost as ordinary taxis, just don't ask for a receipt. Rumours say that these cabs are usually controlled by organized crime, and some unpleasant episodes have been known to happen to passengers, so try this at your own risk, and preferably not alone.

It's often possible to negotiate a price with a licensed taxi driver before entering the cab. In this case, it's implied that you won't receive a receipt, and the driver won't be paying any taxes or his employer. The money (paid in cash) will go straight into the driver's pocket, which means that you can often get a cheaper ride. However, if you don't know the area well enough to estimate the regular metered price you might get ripped off. Negotiating the price also undermines the Swedish tax and wage legislation system, which will be considered very rude by many (not all) Swedes.

Car

Congestion fee sign

Cars driving into or out of central Stockholm between 06:30 and 18:29 on weekdays are charged a congestion tax [61] of 10 to 20 SEK. Some car rental companies charge their customers separately for the cost of toll passages, while others don't. Foreign-registered cars are exempt from the tax. Driving in Stockholm is easy compared to many larger capitals in the world. Just make sure to use your indicators when changing lanes. Fees are not charged at all in July, on holidays (such as Sundays) or on the day before a holiday (such as Saturdays).

Parking is restricted and expensive in the centre of the city, and free parking is scarce even in the suburbs, except at external shopping centres. It is recommended for peace of mind to make use of SL services to avoid parking and congestion charges.

Boat

There are two hop-on/hop-off boat tours that run loops between various sites in Stockholm. Both cost approximately 100 SEK for a day long pass and have approximately 8 stops, including the cruise terminal, Gamla Stan, the Vasa Museum, Skansen, and Skeppsholmen.

See

Stockholm has many spectacular tourist attractions, ranging from the interesting architecture of the City Hall to the stunning natural beauty of the archipelago. In the several Royal Palaces (Stockholm Palace, Drottningholm, Haga and several others) visitors can get in close contact with traditions of the Swedish monarchy. Among the wide range of museums, the Vasa museum with its 17th century warship and the Skansen open air museum are unique experiences.

The Royal Palace in Gamla Stan.

Stockholm's Old Town (Gamla Stan), is the beautifully preserved historical heart of Stockholm. T Gamla Stan station is on the west side of the compact quarter, which is best covered on foot. Riddarholmskyrkan is a beautifully preserved medieval church.

Stockholm's Old Town with the Tyska Kyrkan (German church)

The Stockholm archipelago (skärgården) is one of the world's most spectacular. Stretching 80 kilometres east of the city centre, the archipelago comprises 24,000 islands, islets and rocks. Regular ferries are operated by Waxholmsbolaget[62] and from April through September also by Cinderellabåtarna[63].

Buildings and structures

Religious buildings

Stockholm has a large number of interesting churches, some of them dating back to medieval times. Most of them are in active use by the Lutheran Church of Sweden. There is also a synagogue and a mosque in the city center. The Skogskyrkogården cemetery, in the southern suburbs, is one of the very few UNESCO World Heritage sites from the 20th century.

Other buildings

The Stadsbiblioteket (The City Library) by architect Gunnar Asplund is a beautiful building in the short gap between the styles of classisism and modernism, close to T Odenplan or T Rådmansgatan.

The Ericsson Globe is a white spherical building. Occasionally, at least at game-nights, it is lit by coloured light.

The Sweden Solar System[64] is the world's largest scale model of any kind. With the Globe as the Sun, models of the planets are displayed at Slussen (Mercury), the Royal Institute of Technology (Venus), the Natural History Museum (Earth & Moon), Mörby Centrum (Mars), Arlanda Airport (Jupiter) and Uppsala (Saturn).

Viewpoints

The heights of northern Södermalm give a great view of central Stockholm. Get off the underground at Zinkensdamm, walk up the street Ringvägen and then the old and partly cobbled Yttersta tvärgränd until it terminates just next to an abandoned stone quarry on the right. Climb the quarry on either side and enjoy this somewhat steep and unprepared location, which has a tendency of attracting a pretty lively crowd on new year's eve and summer nights. Get off the underground at Slussen and walk up Katarinavägen and then on to the lovely Fjällgatan, where tourist coaches make a stop to let everyone enjoy the most popular vantage point.

Hammarbybacken, a semi-artificial ski slope, walkable around the year, great during summer.

Skyview[66] is an elevator to the top of the Ericsson Globe. Rides cost 130 SEK a person.

Bars and restaurants with a good view: Gondolen, Herman's, Och himlen därtill, or the penthouse lounge of Sjöfartshotellet on Södermalm, or the SAS Radisson Hotel Skybar on Norrmalm.

Museums

Stockholm has more than 70 museums [67], ranging from those large in size and scope to the very specialized, including the Butterfly Museum, the Spirits Museum, and the Dance Museum, to name but a few. Tickets are typically 80 to 100 SEK for adults, less or zero for children. The list below is a selection of widely acclaimed museums.

Nobel Museum[68] describes the history of the Nobel prize and their winners.

The Natural History Museum[69] (Östermalm) at T-Universitetet is surrounded by beautiful scenery. The museum also has excellent exhibits for children, and an Omnimax cinema.

The Army Museum (Östermalm) [71] displays Sweden's military history, with frequent wars from the Middle Ages until 1814, then followed by two centuries of peace.

Djurgården, the Royal park island belonging to Östermalm, contains several museums, among them

The Vasa Museum[72] displays the historial Vasa warship, a 17th century warship that sunk into the Stockholm harbour upon launching. The museum was built around the Vasa warship and contains unique displays about Swedish life in the 17th century.

Skansen[73], an open air museum in Djurgården, containing a zoo showcasing Swedish fauna, as well as displays of Sweden's cultural heritage.

Art

Beyond the art museums mentioned above, Stockholm has a vivid art scene and offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy contemporary art in galleries, exhibition halls and public places. The Stockholm official visitors guide has a list of galleries [76].

Art galleries

Galleri Magnus Karlsson is a small, local gallery showcasing local artworks. It can be found at Fredsgatan 12, a short walk from both T-Centralen or T Gamla Stan. Mon-Fri 12:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00.

Lars Bohman Gallery is another small gallery located on Karlavägen 9 within walking distance from T Rådmansgatan or T-Tekniska högskolan. Mon-Fri 12:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00.

Galerie Nordenhake is located at Hudiksvallsgatan 8. The gallery can be reached by walking from T Odenplan or by bus 65. Tues-Fri 11:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00.

Magasin3 is located at Frihamnen and can be reached by walking from Radiohuset on bus 4 or by taking bus 76 to Frihamnen which stops right outside the gallery. Thurs 11:00-19:00, Fri-Sun 11:00-17:00, Closed Mon-Wed.

Exhibition spaces

Art colleges

The two major art university colleges in Stockholm hold regular exhibitions where the Swedish artists of tomorrow show off their talent. Information about upcoming events are available in English on their web sites:

Public art

The Stockholm Metro has plenty of artistic decoration in its stations, and promotes itself as "the world’s longest art exhibition". Some of the most interesting features include the moody dark blue cave of Kungsträdgården with details from the former palace Makalös, the giant black and white "drawings" by Siri Derkert at Östermalmstorg and the celebration of science and technology at Tekniska Högskolan. In the suburbs, Rissne has a fascinating timeline of human history on its walls. A free guide in English to the art in the Stockholm Metro can be downloaded from the SL website [77].

Do

Restaurant Gondolen at Katarinahissen

Guided tours

There is a wide selection of guided tours available, by boat, by bus and on foot.

By boat

Stockholm Sightseeing[78] (part of the Strömma group) has several different guided boat tours.

Under the bridges of Stockholm[79] is one of the most popular. Departing from Strömkajen by Grand Hôtel and opposite the Royal Castle (T Kungsträdgården), this tour on both the sea and on lake Mälaren passes under 15 bridges and through two locks. Several departures every day, depending on the time of year. 1 hour 50 min, 200 SEK.

Royal Canal Tour[80] departs from Strömkajen and takes you around the eastern parts of the city, passing through the lush Djurgården canal. 50 min, 150 SEK.

Historical Canal Tour[81] departs from Stadshusbron next to the City Hall (T T-Centralen), and passes Kungsholmen and other western islands of the city. 50 min, 150 SEK.

Alternatively, and cheaply, there is the eight-stop "Hop On-Hop Off" boat service of Stockholm Sightseeing (not promoted as one of the Strömma carriers) -- as near as we can tell (August, 2010), this is the only boat service that honours the Stockholm Card for full fares. Two of the most frequented stops are at the Palace, and at the Gamla Stan, right across the canal from T Slussen. The recordings on this loop service are reasonably informative.

The competing Aphrodite boat service offers a similar hop on-hop off service for a modest fee for 24 hours. (In other sections of this article, a price of 10 SEK is quoted, but this is lower than any prices we heard quoted by a factor of 10 or more.)

By bus

City Tours and Open Top Tours (also divisions of the Strömma group) offers bus tours:

The Hop-on Hop-off Bus[84] is a tour with open top double decker buses that allows you to get on and off the bus as often as you want at bus stops along the route. The tour passes some major sights, but only in the central and eastern part of the city. 24 hour travel pass 220 SEK.

On foot

Free Tour Stockholm[89] offers zero-charge guided tours in English year round, find out when through the webpage. It runs completely on tips and you don't have to book in advance, just show up. Highlights include finding out which Nobel Prize is a kind of fake, why Queen Christina had to sleep under her dead dad's heart and how not to rob a bank. This tour is currently the highest ranked tour on TripAdvisor, and since it's free, check it out! It starts from the big staircase at Sergels torg and takes 1 hour 30 min.

Talk of the town offers self-guided walking tours in six languages all year round.

Talk of the town[90] download your own audioguide to your mobile phone or mp3-player. Audioguide at 56 of the best sights in all Stockholm. The 56 sights ar spread over the old town Gamla Stan, City, Södermalm, the island of Djurgården, at Skansen open-air museum and the Drottningholm Palace. More than 2 hour listening time, 100-150 SEK.

City Tours offers a walking tour in the summer months:

Old Town Walkabout[91] takes you through the Old Town. 1 hour 15 min, 150 SEK.

For sightseeing on a higher level, Upplev mer has a special tour:

The Rooftop Tour[92] lets you look at Stockholm from the roofs of Riddarholmen island. An exciting experience if you're not afraid of heights. April-September. 1 hour 30 min, 350 SEK.

Gallivant Productions offers year round walking tours including the Viking Tour: Sweden: From the Ice Age to IKEA[93], which is a performance walk, and runs on weekends throughout the year and daily between May and September. 135 SEK. New this year is and 'Stockholm Syndrome: The City Tour' which runs on Saturday mornings 200 SEK (3 hour tour).

The Millennium Tour[94] is hosted by the Stockholm City Museum, and gives a view of the locations of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series.

There are several other agencies that offer occasional guided walking tours in English during the summer months. Check with the Stockholm Tourist Centre for information.

By bike

Talk of the town offers self-guided bike tours in six languages.

Talk of the town[95] memory card for your mobile phone can be rented at several bike rentals in Stockholm. Load your mobile phone with audioguides at 56 of the best sights in Stockholm. Rent by hour, 30 SEK or day 125 SEK.

Swimming

There are several beaches in inner Stockholm, as well as the suburbs. They might be crowded when Swedish people have time. The water in central Stockholm is so clean you can drink it, even though it looks dark. The quality of the water is controlled by Miljöförvaltningen (the municipal authorities) and the reports for all the beaches in the city is available online. Would there be a problem with the water, signs would be posted at the beach.

If the water in Lake Mälaren is too cold for your tastes, you can opt for one of the outdoor swimming pools:

Stockholm also has several indoor swimming pools and spas in very special settings, for instance Centralbadet, Sturebadet and Yasuragi spa.

Watching sports

Stockholm is home to several elite sports teams, and if you're a sports fan you might want to watch a game. The most popular spectator sports are football (soccer) and ice hockey. Also, bandy has something of a cult following. Tickets for all games can be bought online from Ticnet [96].
Speedway is another big spectator sport in Sweden, and it can be experienced only 16 minutes from the Central station by subway, station "Gubbängen" [97].

Football (soccer)

The Swedish National football team plays international games on Friends Arena in Solna.

The Swedish top football league, Allsvenskan, is considerably weaker than most of its Western European sister leagues, and Swedish teams generally struggle in the European cups. The fans don't seem to mind that much, and the games can still be an exciting experience. Unlike in continental Europe, the football season starts in April and ends in October. There are currently three teams from Stockholm in Allsvenskan: AIK, playing at Friends Arena; Djurgården, playing at Tele 2 Arena on Östermalm and Brommapojkarna, playing at Grimsta IP. There's also a team in the second division, Hammarby, playing at Tele 2 Arena.

Ice hockey

The Swedish top ice hockey league, Elitserien, is one of the top leagues in the world, after North-American NHL and the Russian KHL. The season starts at the end of September and ends with finals in April. Stockholm currently has one team in Elitserien: AIK, playing their home games at Hovet (Stockholm Globe City).

Bandy

Bandy is a sport popular mainly in Sweden, Finland and Russia, and slowly gaining popularity in Northn America, played outdoors on ice with sticks and a small ball. The field is roughly as large as a soccer field, and the rules show some similarities. If you visit Stockholm sometime from November to February, and want an exotic experience, this is for you. Remember to dress warm, the game is played in two 45-minute halves. Stockholm currently has only one team in the top men's bandy league: Hammarby.

Doing sports

There are many opportunities to do sports in the Stockholm area.

Skiing

The Stockholm area contains several semi-artificial ski slopes. The height is modest, but the view is usually great, well worth a hike anytime during the year. Tracks for cross-country skiing are available throughout Stockholm.

Riding

There are few stables close to the city where you can ride ponies and horses. Both available for adults and children with various riding-experience.

Golf

There are many golf courses in the Stockholm region, several of them open for green-fee.[98]

Outdoor games

There are many open fields in Stockholm. Gärdet (T Karlaplan or T Gärdet) is a good one for outdoor sports. Just bring a ball of your choice.

Running races

One of the most visible sporting events is the Stockholm Marathon[99], held annually on a Saturday in late May or early June, when some 18,000 participants run two laps around the inner city, while the Stockholmers gather on the sidewalks to cheer.

Lidingöloppet[100], branded as the world's largest cross-country race, and a part of the Swedish Classic Circuit, on Lidingö in the last weekend of September.

Performances

Stockholm has several national stages, such as the Royal Swedish Opera (Kungliga Operan), and several playhouses staging international musicals.

There is also a growing scene for stand-up comedy in Swedish and English. The Big Ben Bar, Folkungagatan 97, has a free-entrance comedy club in English each Thursday at 20:00. Skrattstock is an annual free-entrance comedy festival on Långholmen, always in May/June on the same day as the Stockholm Marathon, with at least one hour of English-language comedy.

Cinemas

There are many cinemas in Stockholm. With the exception of children's movies, films aren't dubbed but subtitled, so if your English is good enough this is a good leisure activity. Many cinemas are THX certified. A ticket is around 100 SEK.

Many of Stockholm's most charming classic cinemas have been closed in recent years, victims of the competition from modern multiplex screens. The elegant Röda Kvarn on Biblioteksgatan was recently transformed into an Urban Outfitters store, and Astoria Nybrogatan was closed in 2007. A few splendid venues are especially worth a visit: Park, Rigoletto, Grand Sveavägen, Saga, Victoria and Skandia.

Stockholm International Film Festival

In November, Stockholm hosts an annual international film festival [102] that draws large crowds.

The Stockholm International Film Festival also hosts an open air cinema in the Tantolunden park during one week in August [103].

Gröna Lund seen from the water

Amusement park and children's activities

Gröna Lund[104] is the main amusement park in Stockholm, on Djurgården island. It can be reached by Spårväg City. The ferry to Djurgården also stops right outside Gröna Lund. Adults 95 SEK with a surcharge on concert nights of 95 SEK, Children 0-6 free, Seniors 65+ free. Opening times vary across the year. Check the website before visiting.

Gambling

LGBT events

Attitudes towards homosexuality are generally tolerant. In the summer (generally late July/early August), there is an annual LGBT pride festival, Stockholm Pride[106], which is the largest in Scandinavia. The national LGBT organization, RFSL[107], can provide information on other events and venues.

Stockholm Pride 2013, 29 Jul- 4 Aug.

Learn

With about 80,000 university students at more than twenty universities and university colleges, Stockholm is the largest university city in the Nordic countries. The largest institutions of higher education are Stockholm University (Stockholms universitet), the Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga tekniska högskolan), and Södertörn University College (Södertörns högskola). Karolinska institutet is a world-class medical university. There are also several fine arts university colleges. Study in Stockholm [108] has information about university studies in Stockholm. Studying in Sweden is free for EU-citizens.

Buy

As in the rest of Sweden, VISA and Mastercard are accepted by nearly all stores, and ATMs are readily available. There are even ATMs inside some bars and nightclubs (which might accept payment in cash only). Only a few places accept foreign currencies, such as Euros or US Dollars.

Sweden is internationally known for its design, and Stockholm has many stores where you can find Swedish-designed clothes, textiles and interior decoration items. Hand-made and hand-painted glassware is also a famous Swedish speciality.

Popular Swedish clothing brands that you can find in several major stores include Acne Jeans, WESC, Cheap Monday, J Lindeberg, Whyred, Tiger and Filippa K. Recent years have seen an explosion of young designers starting their own small labels. Many of these can be found in the small shops in the SoFo area (see below). Examples are Nakkna, Jenny Hellström, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair and The Stray Boys.

Shopping areas

Drottninggatan retail therapy.

Drottninggatan in Norrmalm is dominated by major brands down at the Sergels Torg end before giving way to smaller and more specialised shops further north.

Also connected to Drottninggatan is the square of Hötorget (T-Hötorget). Here is a daily fresh food market outside as well as Hötorgshallen, an indoor food market.

Mood Stockholm[109] on Norrlandsgatan opened in 2012. This mall contains a lot of interesting boutiques not represented elsewhere in the city. (Mon-Fri 10:00-20:00, Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 11:00-18:00).

From Norrmalmstorg on Hamngatan which is accessible from T-Kungsträdgården station or Spårväg City from Sergels Torg up to Stureplan in Östermalm is a collection of high end shops including Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton amongst others.

In Östermalm is the main square Östermalmstorg, a square which possesses Stockholm's best food hall, Östermalms SaluhallÖstermalmshallen at T-Östermalmstorg. (Mon-Thurs 09:30-18:00, Fri 09:30-19:00, Sat 09:30-16:00).

SturegallerianSturegallerian is an upmarket shopping mall at the famous nightlife district, Stureplan. Shopping and food are contained within this upmarket mall with some unique eateries available in the rear of the mall. Stureplan can also be reached by blue bus line number 2. (Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00, Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 12:00-17:00).

Shopping centers

Suburban shopping centers and malls

There are a number of shopping centers and malls in the major suburban centers. While different in size, they all have a similar profile, with cheap restaurants, supermarkets and major fashion, electronics and interior design chain stores, as well as some smaller shops. There is no obvious reason to venture outside the city centre, except perhaps for the possibility of Sunday evening shopping at Kista Galleria when inner-city shops all have closed.

Fashion

Brand stores of Swedish fashion labels:

Store Stockholm[111] - at Tjärhovsgatan 3 (Metro: Medborgarplatsen) specializes in small Swedish fashion designers. In the store you can find brand such as Noir&Blank, Odeur, Diana Orving, Nakkna and Göran Kling.

Books

Music and media

On Sunday evenings from September to May at Skeppsholmen near the city center there is live Swedish folk music at Folkmusikhuset[112]. Just go there and listen or why not dance some Swedish folk dances. It is free entrance.

Glassware

The large department stores Åhléns, NK and PUB (see above) all have a wide selection of glassware.

Room is another great furniture and design store locaded in the Pub mall, T Hötorget.

Many antiquties shops are located close to T Odenplan. Good place to stroll around.

If second hand is an option many Stadsmissionen and Myrorna (the Salvation Army shop) have fun and unique products that also contributes to a good cause. Especially Stadsmissionen Stortorget (T Gamla stan) has handpicked design and classical furiture.

Eat

Stockholm features a large variety of restaurants. However, dining in Stockholm can be expensive, if you aim for something else than the fast food bars, the run-of-the-mill British-style pubs or the ethnic restaurants that dominate the budget bracket. Be prepared to pay around 175-250 SEK or more for most main courses at quality restaurants. If you are on a tight budget, self-catering is probably the best option.

Most hotels and hostels have a good breakfast buffet, in many cases included with the room.

Most restaurants have "dagens rätt" - a lunch offer, normally including a non-alcoholic beverage, bread, butter, salad and coffee M-F, usually 11:00-14:00. Expect to pay between 65-100 SEK. Generally more expensive downtown and cheaper in the suburbs. Many Asian, Indian, Mexican and fast food restaurants offer rather cheap "all you can eat" lunch buffets. Office workers usually go for lunch at noon, so try to show up just before, or past 13:00.

Most restaurants' kitchens close at 22:00 even on weekends, so don't get out too late. Alcohol in restaurants is expensive. A glass of house wine can cost more than 100 SEK, or 450 SEK for a bottle. Sweden has enforced non-smoking in all bars, pubs, restaurants and enclosed areas. Smoking is usually permitted outdoors, or in designated smoking rooms/outdoor seating.

Many Stockholm restaurants are closed for vacation for a few weeks in July and/or early August. In December, many restaurants offer a "julbord" ("Christmas buffet"), a variation of the classic Swedish smörgåsbord with traditional seasonal dishes such as ham, pickled herring, "lutfisk" (stockfish from cod or ling, prepared with lye) and much more, which might require advance booking, costing around 400-600 SEK, beverages not included.

In this cosmopolitan city, traditional Swedish cuisine, known as husmanskost or husman can be hard to get by. Many fine diners have a not-too-expensive husman course: some other places to eat Swedish are the Nystekt strömming wagon (meaning "freshly fried herring") at Slussen, Ät gott (S:t Göransgatan 74, Kungsholmen) and Tennstopet (Dalagatan 50, Norrmalm).

Cafés

Taking a break for coffee and a biscuit is a Swedish tradition, commonly called fika in Swedish, and there are many coffee-bars around the city. Traditional Swedish filter coffee is relatively strong when compared to American, but a far cry from the Italian espresso. Espresso, caffe latte, cappuccino and other varieties of Italian coffee are generally available. If you prefer tea, note that many cafés only offer a few flavours, but generally some black, red and green teas.

Although you won't find the largest international franchises such as Starbucks and Costa among Stockholm's coffee shops, there are several Swedish counterparts - Wayne's Coffee, Robert's Coffee and Espresso House are the most common names here - that are strikingly similar in design. Just as everywhere else, the small local cafés offer a more personal experience, and often better coffee. Expect to pay anything from 20 SEK and upwards for a cup of regular black coffee.

Don't hesitate to ask for a refill (påtår in swedish) at self-service cafeterias, as it is often free.

Drink

Retail drinks

Drinking alcohol is generally allowed in public areas, with some obvious exceptions, such as schools, playgrounds, indoor malls and public transport areas. In some parks, drinking is prohibited from midnight. Map of dry areas

Systembolaget[121]. Generally open M-W 10:00-18:00, Th-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-15:00, all stores closed Su, is the government monopoly chain for selling alcohol. The stores have a wide assortment and very helpful, knowledgeable staff. Swedish alcohol taxation makes beer and hard liquor expensive. Surprisingly, more exclusive wines can be a bargain. Ask the staff for advice. You need to be able to prove that you are over 20 years old, so be sure to bring photo ID. They could occasionally ask people that are well above 30 for photo ID. For more information, see the section on Systembolaget in the Sweden article. Central locations include:

Regeringsgatan 44 (T T-Centralen). The largest Systembolaget store in Stockholm, with a special selection of exclusive wines.

Vasagatan 25 (T T-Centralen)

Nybrogatan 47 (T Östermalmstorg)

Folkungagatan 56 (T Medborgarplatsen)

Bars and nightclubs

The cost for drinking out in Stockholm can vary a lot. Expect to pay around 30 SEK in the cheapest pub (55-75 SEK in a trendier club or pub) for a beer or cider, and at least 95-150 SEK for a long-drink or cocktail in a club. Bars usually have no cover charge, but may have an arbitrarily set (and arbitrarily enforced) minimum age limit (usually 21 or 23, sometimes as low as 18, other times as high as 27), while clubs usually charge 50-200 SEK at the door (or more at special performances). Long, and very slow moving lines tend to form outside most popular clubs - expect having to wait as much as 1 hour or more if going to a trendy place after midnight, even if raining or snowing. Don't forget to bring an ID, as bouncers could at anytime ask for identification at the door in both pubs and clubs.

As in many other Swedish cities, clubs are quite often arranged illegally and underground outside of the city center. During the summer months, many open air parties are arranged. During fall and winter, there are underground parties in abandoned factories and other industrial buildings, like in many other cities. Some parties are only held once, while others are recurring. These are, naturally, not listed and are often informed of on a word of mouth or online community basis. Generally, such clubs play techno, house and other electronic music, and so, ask locals for advice in legal clubs that play the same genre. The Swedish word for clubs arranged illegally is svartklubb (literally black club). Due to the nature of such events, undercover police presence may be apparent and individuals could be searched for illegal substances at any moment.

Stureplan is a district dominated by posh dancefloor nightclubs, at the crossing of Birger Jarlsgatan, Kungsgatan and Sturegatan, (T Östermalmstorg). The mushroom-shaped rain shelter is a common meeting point. High entrance fees (200 SEK or more) and long lines. Can be difficult to get in to the clubs here if you are considered not fit in.

Södermalm is a district which have many smaller bars and nightclubs focusing on art and electronic or alternative music. Look in nightlife magazines for places around Hornstull (such as Strand), Mariatorget (such as Sidetrack, Marie Laveau and the Wednesday pop-club Baba Sonic), Slussen (such as Debaser, Kolingsborg), Skanstull (such as Trädgården, Under Bron).

Major bar streets are Götgatan (where most places are rather cheap pubs) and Bondegatan (with a younger and more trendy crowd), both on Södermalm, Rörstrandsgatan in western Vasastan (also rather trendy, but drawing a slightly older crowd) and the area around the Rådhuset and Fridhemsplan subway stations on Kungsholmen (with many small, cheaper and relaxed places). There are also many local pubs outside of the city centre, where many locals go and the beer is cheaper. Ask any swedes for directions and they will be happy to help you.

Most restaurants and bars close at 01:00, larger clubs usually at 03:00. There are an exclusive few open till 05:00.

More trendy clubs might have a long queue from midnight till closing time. Get out early (at least before midnight). A few posh and expensive clubs in the Stureplan district have an informal or outspoken dress code, vårdad klädsel. Do not behave drunk in queues, as the guards may not be willing to let you in. Arguing aggressively with bouncers and security staff will certainly lead to serious consequences and is not recommended.

If you can read Swedish, you can get more information about Stockholm's nightlife in the free monthly magazine Nöjesguiden, the newspaper Dagens Nyheter on Thursdays, the free QX gay magazine for LGBT events and the free Metro on Fridays.

Sleep

As of 2012, Stockholm has harsh competition between up-market (4-star) hotels. Most of these hotels charge 900-1200 SEK for a single room, and they almost always have vacancies, and might give special offers for tourists. Hotels located far from city center are generally cheaper. Try to find one close to public transport.

The cheap bunks are in short supply. Look for hostels at Svenska Turistföreningen, [122] and SVIF [123] Advance booking is recommended, especially during summer, and for those in the inner city. Stockholm has some spectacular hostels, such as af Chapman at Skeppsholmen, [124], Långholmen[125], Jumbostay[126] at Arlanda, and Best Hostel at the Old Town waterfront [127].

Contact

Phone

Phone booths are very rare as are public phones in general as most people have switched to cell phones. Prepaid cards are available and usually also include Internet access at a reasonable price. Coverage is excellent in Stockholm, even in the subway and road tunnels.

Internet access

There are a number of places where you can access the Internet in central Stockholm.

An alternative for any visitor to Sweden is to buy a pre-paid USB 3G/4G modem. These can be had cheaply (down to 150 SEK) and the 3G/4G coverage in Stockholm is excellent. Expect to pay around 100 SEK/week or 300 SEK/month to use the 3G modem. Data limits are typically high (5 GB/Month but up to 20 GB or more is also available)

WiFi

If you have your own laptop or smartphone, many cafés, hotels, libraries offer free wi-fi access. McDonalds and the local version Max also offers good free Wifi in their restaurants. The site Wifikartan show most of the free wi-fi access points in Stockholm and most of Sweden as well.

Skype offers wi-fi access in some areas called Skype Zones [128]. This service used to be offered for free as a test, but now seems to be subject to a fee.

Telia HomeRun[129] is a commercial wi-fi service that covers many points in central Stockholm with wi-fi.

Internet terminals

The company Sidewalk Express operates internet terminals in a number of convenience stores (most 7 Eleven and many Pressbyrån stores) and some other shops and public locations, including the main hall in the Stockholm Central railway station. Check their website [130] for a full list of locations. Most terminals are however quite uncomfortable to use (metallic keyboards, stand-up only access etc.) and fairly expensive. Unused time from one Sidewalk Express location can be reused at any other terminal in Sweden within 5 days.

You can often use the internet for free at the public libraries (but you may have to ask first). Big libraries can be found at Medborgarplatsen (T Medborgarplatsen) and Sveavägen 73 (T Odenplan).

The Central Station has Stockholmspanelen, information terminals with keyboards and web browsers that have full internet access but no address bar to type in the URL of the site you want to visit. But if you are clever there's a way to get to Google, you can then type in the URL you want to visit and hit "Search".

There are also a number of more gaming-oriented internet points. These are often open late nights.

Matrix — The underground hall in the Kungsgatan exit of the metro station Hötorget. Open Su-Th 10:00-24:00, F-Sa 10:00-03:00. A centrally located 80-terminal gamer den with generous opening hours.

Inferno Online, situated at Odenplan (metro station). The largest gaming/internet-cafe in the world. If you are a new user you need to create an account (free) and then pay for the amount of hours you want on your account (the prices are low compared to other internet terminals). Their website: http://www.infernoonline.com/

Stay safe

Stockholm is a safe city by international standards. For 2011 it was named as the 6th safest city in the world to live in as part of the Mercer Livability Survey. As in other cities, however, you should avoid late-night walks through deserted areas of the city or through unlit parks.

Stockholm has an exciting night-life. As in most countries, being overly intoxicated is not accepted in most bars and clubs, and could lead to the security staff forcibly ejecting the trouble-maker. Swedish people tend to binge-drink, and as usual, alcohol might fuel violence.

Most crimes against tourists are crimes of opportunity, such as pick-pocketing, bicycle theft, auto theft, and auto vandalism. As always, do not leave valuable items in your car, and watch your bag in crowded places. Most shops and all major taxi companies accept credit and debit cards, so there is no need to carry a lot of cash. Be more aware of your belongings in crowded areas such as festivals, nightclubs, markets, airports, and public transport areas.

Prefer the major cab companies (Taxi Stockholm, Taxi Kurir, Taxi 020 and Topcab) to avoid overcharging, and have a better chance of having belongings lost in the car returned to you.

During summer, groups of street gamblers try to scam their audience on Drottninggatan and in other touristed areas. They use a variety of tricks one of them being planting a few of their own in the crowd. Don't play, you will lose.

Though Sweden has an extensive welfare system, and Stockholm has fewer homeless and impoverished people than other cities of similar size, homeless people can occasionally be seen begging downtown. A responsible way to address their situation is to buy the street paper, Situation Stockholm, for 50 SEK. Beggars feigning disabilities, or handing out laminated begging cards on the subway, might be associated with organized gangs, and should be ignored. Buying food or water for someone begging is also a good way of helping, without risking that your money goes in the wrong hands.

Stockholm is a very friendly to sexual minorities. Homophobic and transphobic attitudes will be met with outright hostility from many swedes. All parties in the Swedish parliament take a radical standpoint against harassment and violence towards sexual minorities. Same-sex couples will have no trouble living openly in Stockholm, which includes holding hands or kissing in public around the city. Despite this fact, common sense should be used late at night in some areas (as in any other city).

Respect

When using escalators, stand on the right and use the left side for walking up the stairs. Standing still on the left side might annoy people. On train and subway platforms, passengers should be allow to leave the car before passengers who want to board.

Avoid walking in the cycle lane. Dedicated cycle paths are clearly marked, but sometimes run directly next to the pavement (sidewalk). Stockholm cyclists are subject to a comparatively hilly landscape and are unwilling to slow down and lose momentum. Usually, however, they are careful, signal clearly and use their bells, meaning that straying tourists most often are just sworn at.

When waiting in lines, be patient and polite. Swedes never jump queues - but make sure you actually stand in the line. If unsure, ask.

Swedes usually don't complain to people that are doing things (in their opinion) wrongly. They will just look at your foolish behaviour and swear silently to themselves. You might be embarrassing yourself but swedes think that complaining about it will make an even bigger scene.

Cope

Warm clothes in good materials (Long johns/stockings under your pants/skirt will keep you warm without looking like you wear your ski-outfit).

Getting cash

There are many ATMs in the city, but some foreign card-holders, such as a Canadian, have reported trouble in using them, even when they purport to be connected to international networks their banks are part of, so consider doing some research before you arrive.

There are many locations of a currency exchange called Forex, but they charge a whopping 50 SEK (6,5 €) commission on top of their buy-sell spread.

Credit/debit cards are widely accepted even for small amounts. Most places accept identification and a signature, but PIN-transactions are preferred.

Toilets

Finding a good toilet in Stockholm can be tricky. Many department stores and fast-food restaurants have clean toilets, often for the charge of 5 SEK. That is also the cost of public toilet booths found in most city squares (though these might be messy) so be sure to carry some 5 and 10 SEK coins. Restaurants' toilets are often reserved for customers, and might be messy depending on the establishment. Some good, clean toilets are found in Max at Norrmalmstorg, and in the bar Sturehof (at Stureplan - the establishment is too big for crew to keep track of people borrowing the toilet). Urinating in town is illegal, but urinals are often free even if you have to pay for a WC. The libraries, museums, and government buildings often have free, clean toilets.

Most major hotels have clean lobby toilets. Some of them might be reserved for house guests and require an access code, but travellers can often get access to them on request.

Laundry

Since all Swedish apartments either have a washing machine or access to a communal laundry room, there are virtually no self-service laundries to be found in Stockholm, with one exception:

Tvättomaten, Västmannagatan 61 (T Odenplan), + 46 8 34 64 80, [131]. Open M-F 08:30-18:30, Sa 09:30-15:00 (closed Sa from end of June to mid-August, closed one week at the end of July). Self service price: 50 SEK without drying, 84 SEK with drying (per machine, up to 5 kg).

Most youth hostels have washing machines. Some dry cleaners offer to wash shirts and bed linen as well, but this tends to be quite expensive.

Health

Swedish healthcare is generally of high quality, although you may have to face a long wait in emergency rooms. How fast you get to see the doctor is dependent on how ill you are and if others are sicker. If you have a small wound that needs stitches you will wait if there are victims of a car-accident. But if you are in a bad car-accident you know you will get help first. Money, name or title won't help pass the queue.

EU/EES citizens with a European Health Insurance card pay the same (rather low) fee for emergency and necessary care as a local citizen. Others must pay the whole health care cost (which can be between 1,700 and 2,200SEK for a doctor’s visit at an emergency care unit at a hospital). More information on hospital fees can be found on the Stockholm County information site [132].

In an emergency, always call 112 for SOS Alarm, for ambulance, police, fire service, air and sea rescue, mountain patrol, or priest on call. English-speaking operators are available.

There are two hospitals with 24-hour emergency care units in the inner city:

For less serious illnesses and ailments, getting in touch with a local clinic, vårdcentral, is a much better option than the hospital emergency rooms. The Stockholm County healthcare hotline Vårdguiden (+46 8 320 100, [135]) can give medical advice and help you find a doctor. While information is officially given in Swedish only, the doctors can often speak some English.

Pharmacies

The pharmacy market has recently been de-regulated, giving some competition to the state-operated monopoly chain Apoteket. Certified pharmacies have a green cross sign. You can buy over-the-counter medicine (such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, throat and cough relief tablets or nose-sprays) in almost any supermarket or convenience store.

Apoteket C W Scheele, Klarabergsgatan 64 (T T-Centralen), +46 8 454 81 30. This pharmacy is centrally located and open 24 hours, all days of the week, including holidays. Service is limited late at night, and can be slow, but they have a very large inventory of specialized drugs.

Apotek Hjärtat, Krukmakargatan 13 (T Mariatorget). Located on Södermalm, with extra long operating hours: 08:00-22:00 all days of the week.

Tap water

The tap water in Stockholm is of very high quality. There is no reason for buying bottled water. It is also completely accepted to ask for tap water in restaurants. Many places have a tap and glasses for self-service.

Get out

Drottningholm—The Royal family lives at the 18th century World Heritage Drottningholm Palace on the Lovö island, 30 minutes from central Stockholm public transport. The 18th century palace is beautiful, and much of it is open to the public. The surroundings are well worth a walk as well. In the summertime, there is a regular boat service from Stadshuskajen (the City Hall Quay) to Drottningholm: [136]

Birka— For the real Viking buff, there's Birka[137], the site of a former Viking city of about 1,000 inhabitants situated on Björkö, an island in Lake Mälaren. In recent years, a replica of the old city has been built up. Boats to Björkö are operated by Strömma Kanalbolaget [138]. Birka can also be reached by public transport to Rastaholm, and boarding a boat (see timetable [139]).

Uppsala— The fourth largest city in Sweden, but still doable as a day trip. 80 km north of Stockholm. To get there, there are two rail options:

SJ offers fast hourly service from Stockholm C to Uppsala, with a sporadic service to Gävle also calling at Uppsala. This option takes 40 minutes and costs 106 SEK.

SL offers a stopping half-hourly service from Stockholm C to Uppsala, taking 55 minutes and costing 110 SEK (65 SEK for people under 20), though if you have an SL travlecard, this is reduced to 60 SEK (35 SEK for people under 20).

In Uppsala you can see the biggest cathedral in Scandinavia, Linnaeus' botanical gardens as well as Viking royal burial mounds and temple remains from the time when Uppsala was Sweden's capital.

Sigtuna[140]— Oldest surviving Swedish town, effectively Sweden's capital during the Middle Ages. Streets are small here and dotted with low built wooden houses. Lies north of Stockholm and makes a good daytrip. Take the commuter train to Märsta and change to bus 570, 572 and 575 for Sigtuna. All operated by SL.

Bornsjön— For a real wild animal safari close to Stockholm, Bornsjön is the best spot. It is a nature reserve 30 minutes drive south of Stockholm. The natural environment is perfect here for watching mammals like moose, roe deer and wild boar. Stockholm Outback offers tours down to the reserve every evening during the summer. For further information call +46 73-6578708 or visit their homepage [141].

Roslagen, the coastal area of Uppland, north-east of Stockholm. Norrtälje is the major city, conveniently reached by buses leaving from Tekniska högskolan. The area offers an almost endless variety of public lakes, beaches, coves, cliffs, islands, forests, farmland, wild animals, fishing, trekking, free camping and just about everything for nature lovers and independent travelers. Also a perfect location to see Swedes in their recluse summer homes, enjoying all concievable outdoor activities and marine sports.